Small Seeds Sown Can Grow Into Big Trees

The desire of my life has been to please God and is it not our Creator Himself who put this desire within the heart of every man to seek after Him, the One who loved us more than even His very own life that we might know what true love is? How is it that we would not seek this only Friend of man, the Great Lover of man, the One who has given us of all that He is purely because He loves us? Is it too great a thought to embrace that we lowly souls were created by God for His good pleasure that we might know Him as our friend?

As we contemplate His handiwork in the creation, we can observe what the character of God is like in each and every object, animate and inanimate. All that is on this planet has been given to us for our enjoyment that we might enjoy its benefits whether they be rocks or water, plants or animals, every living thing and each material thing was given to us to enjoy because we are His beloved children.

Water makes up seventy per cent of the earth and water also makes up seventy per cent of our bodies. Just as the earth contains the waters so our bodies contain the waters and just as the waters contribute greatly to the beauty and health of the earth, so waters contained within the human frame contribute greatly to the beauty and health of each individual. Just as the waters of the earth can carry the imprint of man's behavior so can the waters contained within a man carry the imprint of his behavior. As a man behaves, so is he and the signature of his influence can be seen in all he touches just as the signature of our Creator can be seen in all He touches. God is love and within His being is contained nothing but love. God has no part in the hatred embraced by man and where ever we see violence, war, pollution and injustice we are observing the workings of man and not God. The Creator of heaven and earth and all that dwells on the earth above the earth and below the earth can be described by one all encompassing word which is love. We are surrounded by God's love which is manifest in the rocks, the trees, the waters and all of life both seen and unseen both awesome and insignificant; all of the material world is a revelation of His love for mankind.

The Great Creator of heaven and earth is also a humble God who has chosen to remain invisible to us and His invisibility is manifest in the manner by which He holds all things together by a force unseen. We can observe the material world and the material universe but we cannot observe the force that keeps every particle of every object animate and inanimate bound together in forms so diverse that we will never comprehend them all. We are told in the inspired scriptures that it is the second person of Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ Himself who holds all things together and He does so by the power of the third person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit. What is most interesting is that God the Father has never revealed Himself to mankind directly but in keeping with His humility He has manifest Himself to us through His only begotten Son and even in this manifestation He came portraying Himself as a Servant of mankind, the most lowly of men, of such a humble stature that He had no place to even lay his head and no place to call His own. He was so lowly and so subservient that He divested Himself of all power taking the form of an infant. In the history of mankind they has never been nor will there ever be an act of humility so extreme as this effort made by God to reach His children.

In considering all this, what is just as mind boggling in a negative way is the manner in which mankind has rejected God's love. How could it be that mankind could embrace the good gifts of God yet not give thanks or acknowledgement to the Giver of all good gifts? How could it be that so many billions not millions but billions of people do not fall down daily and worship the One who gives life and blessings to all both rich and poor, righteous and wicked, of lowly position and high position? God is no respecter of persons and His love is free for all mankind yet man goes about his daily business oblivious this reality and consequently mankind is living delusional, distracted and distorted lifestyles and the only way that men may ever come out of this lifestyle is the through the challenge that God places before them and that will not happen except through those that God has already delivered. So isn't it time for us to do as God did, to be ready and willing each and every day to look for ever so small ways in which to serve others? Even offering a thirsty soul a drink of water will be remembered at the Great Judgement Day and as you have done to the least of mankind, so you have done even to Christ Himself. Unless we sow seeds we will not see a harvest and unless we water the seed it will never grow and who knows but God what may happen with the small and feeble efforts we make each day to sow seeds or to water the seeds that have been sown along our path of daily life. Do not neglect to do good at every opportunity for in every instance that you perform a deed of kindness for someone else you will in essence be performing a deed of kindness to our Creator Himself in the person of Jesus Christ His Son.

Nothing Else In All Creation Can Be Moral But Angels and Man

If God created all things and proclaimed them to be very good then why do we think of germs as bad? Could it be due to the propaganda of modern science, the idol of our age? Has our thinking been molded by our ancient faith, the scriptures and the traditions of our Fathers or has our view of the creation been molded by the modern priests of science?

Germs, viruses, bacteria, yeast and molds are everywhere on, in and above the earth in various forms. In nature when a tree is weakened or compromised from mineral derivation, lack or water or the presence of toxins the immune system isn't able to properly do its job thus making the way clear for microbes to go into a decomposing mode which is part of the grand cycle of life and death. Were it not for the great fall of mankind, the earth would be a perfect place with no provision for the need of death to synergisticly work within the cycle of life. So because of the fall, death has become a necessary phenomena and God in mercy has made a provision for dealing with death when it begins to occur and that provision is decomposition which again in mercy fits perfectly within the natural cycle of nature which encompasses new birth, aging and death. A day will come when death shall no longer be part of this natural cycle, where aging will contribute to greater perfection and glory rather than wrinkles and creaks.

Staying Faithful, Rejoicing Always

"Do you see how many good things temptations and afflictions cause? So if you too want to see, to taste the love of Christ, endure whatever comes upon you -- not whatever you like, but whatever the Lord wants to test you with. What we suffer voluntarily is absolutely nothing in comparison with the trials the Lord sends us against our will. The hostile devil fights us bone against bone and blood against blood, as much as God allows. He fights so much, that one melts and flows like wax before the fire. But when the trial passes, you are totally filled with joy."

Elder Joseph the Hesychast

Read And Weep

Our kingdom is not of this world. The kingdom of this world belongs to Satan. Don't forget that and remember that Satan hates the Orthodox church with a vengeance and he will do all he can to destroy us, first seeking to woo us with riches and power and if this doesn't work then he will rip out our hearts, cut off our noses and gouge out our eyes. This has been the lot of God's people for two thousand years and will continue until the day of Christ's return.

Be not deceived for Satan loves America, it is the apple of his eye for he has built for himself a congregation of heretics and apostates. Followers who read the bible and worship faithfully Sunday after Sunday but who is this god they worship? Where does heresy and apostasy come from? Who is it that woos men into a false belief system, a false church, a false religion, a counterfeit of the truth? Is it none other than the evil one himself? The evil one delights in the American religious system of freedom of worship for men can choose any way they wish to believe and all ways are OK so long as they do not lead to Orthodoxy.

Satan has a strategy to destroy the American Orthodox believer and we need now more than ever to gird ourselves for the struggle that is before us. Now more than ever, we need to turn to the Mother Church rejecting modern innovations immersing ourselves in worship, prayer, ascetic deeds and fellowship of the believers avoiding the distractions and pleasures of this world. Watch yourselves dear brethren and prepare for the time is at hand.

The Demons Have Icons Too

Mankind thrives on images. Images delight us, entertain us, inspire us, grieve us, anger us and all in all have a tremendous influence on our daily lives. Images enter into our minds through the eyes and begin to permeate our very being affecting how we think, act and live. Images have a powerful influence on mankind and rightly so for this is how God made us. He gave us ears to hear with, eyes to see with, hands to touch with, feet to walk with and on and on and on, every part of our being having been given to us as a blessing with which to enjoy Him and His good gifts to us. Our God delights in giving to His children for this is love and God is love.

Modern man loves images as well and has surrounded himself with them via the television, the cinema, the billboard, magazines and newspapers but these are for the most part corrupt images which defile the heart, the mind and the flesh.

Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, man was given divine images for sake of blessing us with a means by which to assist us in our contemplation of His holiness, love and mercy. It is through the Orthodox icons that man is taught the wonders of God and the salvation wrought for us through Jesus Christ, His Son. These holy icons ought to be with us everywhere, in our homes, our cars, our businesses, in the public marketplaces and anywhere man congregates. Most of all, they should fill our churches, covering the walls, the windows and the ceilings for their presence will be all awe-inspiring drawing our attention to things not of this world which is most necessary for securing our salvation.

Worldly images draw us into this world.

Worldly images transport us away from God.

Worldly images steal away from holiness.

Worldly images defile us.

Worldly images distract us from salvation.

Worldly images lead us into darkness.

Worldly images harden our hearts.

Worldly images weaken our resolve.

Worldly images are tool of demons.

The holy icons inspire us.

The holy icons lead us into prayer and contemplation.

The holy icons reveal the beauty and majesty of God.

The holy icons teach us the way of salvation.

The holy icons embolden us.

The holy icons usher us into the heavenlies.

The holy icons provide us protection.

The holy icons draw us to the Kingdom of God.

What Must I Do To Enter The Kingdom Of Heaven?

"For repentance is the way and the key to the Kingdom of Heaven, without which no one can enter into it."

St. Alexander of Svir

If repentance is not our constant companion, we will surely become disoriented and lost in the woods where we will become easy prey for wolves.

This is repentance; "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner".

This is our constant companion; "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner".

This is our strength; "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner".

This is our hope; "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner".

This is our life; "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner".

This is our light in the darkness; "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner".

In work; "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner".

In rest; "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner".

In worship; "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner".

In relationships; "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner".

In solitude; "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner".

The mysteries of life will open up to us when these words are on our lips; "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner".

The windows of heaven will open up to us when these words are on our lips; "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner".

The gift of tears will be given to us when these words are on our lips; "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner".

Our minds will be illumined when these words are on our lips; "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner".

Close to death having lost all, health, wealth, loved ones, let only these words be on your lips; "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner".

Oh, How I Long For The Ancient Faith Of My Fathers

The demons adore modernity and its dissipating influence on the church.

Modernity is anti-Christianity.

Modernity is mind numbing and mind stimulating.

Modernity entices with a display of imagery that entertainingly molds and mesmerizes with the precepts and tenets of anti-Christianity.

Modernity leads the unknowing unthinking modern man like a cow to the slaughterhouse.

KISS - Keep it simple, stupid!

"Walk before God in simplicity, and not in subtleties of the mind. Simplicity brings faith; but subtle and intricate speculations bring conceit; and conceit brings withdrawal from God."

St. Isaac the Syrian

Thank Your Guardian Angel Today

"Know that the holy angels encourage us to pray and stand beside us, rejoicing and praying for us. Therefore, if we are negligent and admit thoughts from the enemy, we greatly provoke the angels. For while they struggle hard on our behalf we do not even take the trouble to pray to God for ourselves, but we despise their services to us and, abandoning their Lord and God, we consort with unclean demons."
Evagrios the Solistar

Holy First-Martyress and Equal-to-the-Apostles Thekla

The Holy First-Martyress and Equal-to-the-Apostles Thekla was born in the city of Iconium. She was the daughter of rich and illustrious parents, and moreover she was distinguished by extraordinary beauty. At 18 years of age they betrothed her to an eminent youth. But having heard the preaching of the holy Apostle Paul about the Saviour, Saint Thekla with all her heart came to love the Lord Jesus Christ, and she steadfastly resolved not to enter into marriage, but rather to devote all her life to preaching the Gospel. The mother of Saint Thekla was opposed to her daughter's plans and demanded that she enter into marriage with the bridegroom betrothed to her. Saint Thekla's fiancee likewise made a complaint to the governor of the city against the Apostle Paul, accusing him of turning his bride against him. The governor locked up Saint Paul in prison. During the night Saint Thekla secretly ran away from her house, and she bribed the prison guards, giving them all her gold ornaments, and so made her way into the prison to the prisoner. For three days she sat at the feet of the Apostle Paul, hearkening to his fatherly precepts. The disappearance of Thekla was discovered, and servants were sent out everywhere in search of her. Finally they found her in the prison and brought her home by force.

At his trial the Apostle Paul was sentenced to banishment from the city. And with Saint Thekla they again began urging her to consent to the marriage, but she would not change her mind. Neither the tears of her mother, nor her wrath, nor the threats of the governor were able to separate Saint Thekla from her love for the Heavenly Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ. Her mother in a insane rage demanded from the judges a death sentence against her unyielding daughter, and Saint Thekla was sentenced to burning. Without flinching, the holy martyress went into the bon-fire and made the sign of the cross over herself. At this moment the Saviour appeared to her, blessing her present deed, and inexpressible joy filled her holy soul. The flames of the bon-fire shot up high, but the martyress was surrounded by an halo and the flames did not touch her. Thunder boomed, and a strong downpour of rain with hail extinguished the bon-fire. The torturers scattered in fear. Saint Thekla, kept safe by the Lord, quit the city and with the help of a certain Christian youth searched out the Apostle Paul. The holy apostle and his companions, among which was also the Disciple Barnabas, were hidden away in a cave not far from the city, praying fervently, that the Lord would give strength to Saint Thekla in her sufferings.
After this, Saint Thekla went together with them preaching the Gospel in Antioch. In this city she was pursued by a certain dignitary named Alexander, who was captivated by her beauty. Saint Thekla refused his offer to enter into marriage, and so for being a Christian she was condemned to death. Twice they set loose upon her hungry wild animals, but they would not touch the holy virgin, but instead lay down meekly and licking at her feet. The Providence of God preserved the holy martyress unharmed through all her torments. Finally, they tied her to two oxen and began to chase after her with red-hot rods, but the strong cords broke asunder like cob-webs, and the oxen ran off, leaving Saint Thekla unharmed. And the people began shouting: "Great is the God of the Christians!" The governor himself became terrified, reasoning it out finally, that the holy martyress was being kept safe by the Almighty God, Whom she served. He then gave orders to set free the servant of God Thekla.
With the blessing of the Apostle Paul, Saint Thekla then settled in the desolate surroundings of Isaurian Seleucia and dwelt there for many years, constantly preaching the Word of God and healing the sick through her prayer. Saint Thekla converted many pagans to Christ, and the Church names her worthily as "Equal-to-the-Apostles" ("Ravnoapostol'na"). Even a pagan priest, seeking to assault her purity and punished for his impudence, was brought by her to holy Baptism. More than once the enemy of the race of man tried to destroy Saint Thekla through people blinded by sin, but the power of God always preserved this faithful servant of Christ.
When Saint Thekla was already a 90 year old woman, pagan sorcerers became incensed at her for treating the sick for free. They were unable to comprehend that the saint was healing the sick by the power of the grace of Christ, and they presumed that the virgin-goddess Artemis (Diana) was her especial patroness. Out of envy against Saint Thekla, they sent their followers to defile her. When they had already approached quite close to her, Saint Thekla cried out for help to Christ the Savior, and the hill split open and hid the holy virgin, the bride of Christ. And thus did Saint Thekla offer up her holy soul to the Lord.
Holy Church glorifies the "First-Suffering" Thekla as "of women the glory and guide for suffering, opening up the way through every torment". From of old many a temple was dedicated to her, one of which was built at Tsargrad (Constantinople) by the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine (Comm. 21 May). And then too, the name of the First-Martyress Equal-to-the-Apostles Thekla, a prayer intercessor for the ascetic, is remembered during the tonsure of women into monasticism.

The Holy First-Martyress and Equal-to-the-Apostles Thekla was born in the city of Iconium. She was the daughter of rich and illustrious parents, and moreover she was distinguished by extraordinary beauty. At 18 years of age they betrothed her to an eminent youth. But having heard the preaching of the holy Apostle Paul about the Saviour, Saint Thekla with all her heart came to love the Lord Jesus Christ, and she steadfastly resolved not to enter into marriage, but rather to devote all her life to preaching the Gospel. The mother of Saint Thekla was opposed to her daughter's plans and demanded that she enter into marriage with the bridegroom betrothed to her. Saint Thekla's fiancee likewise made a complaint to the governor of the city against the Apostle Paul, accusing him of turning his bride against him. The governor locked up Saint Paul in prison. During the night Saint Thekla secretly ran away from her house, and she bribed the prison guards, giving them all her gold ornaments, and so made her way into the prison to the prisoner. For three days she sat at the feet of the Apostle Paul, hearkening to his fatherly precepts. The disappearance of Thekla was discovered, and servants were sent out everywhere in search of her. Finally they found her in the prison and brought her home by force.
At his trial the Apostle Paul was sentenced to banishment from the city. And with Saint Thekla they again began urging her to consent to the marriage, but she would not change her mind. Neither the tears of her mother, nor her wrath, nor the threats of the governor were able to separate Saint Thekla from her love for the Heavenly Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ. Her mother in a insane rage demanded from the judges a death sentence against her unyielding daughter, and Saint Thekla was sentenced to burning. Without flinching, the holy martyress went into the bon-fire and made the sign of the cross over herself. At this moment the Saviour appeared to her, blessing her present deed, and inexpressible joy filled her holy soul. The flames of the bon-fire shot up high, but the martyress was surrounded by an halo and the flames did not touch her. Thunder boomed, and a strong downpour of rain with hail extinguished the bon-fire. The torturers scattered in fear. Saint Thekla, kept safe by the Lord, quit the city and with the help of a certain Christian youth searched out the Apostle Paul. The holy apostle and his companions, among which was also the Disciple Barnabas, were hidden away in a cave not far from the city, praying fervently, that the Lord would give strength to Saint Thekla in her sufferings.
After this, Saint Thekla went together with them preaching the Gospel in Antioch. In this city she was pursued by a certain dignitary named Alexander, who was captivated by her beauty. Saint Thekla refused his offer to enter into marriage, and so for being a Christian she was condemned to death. Twice they set loose upon her hungry wild animals, but they would not touch the holy virgin, but instead lay down meekly and licking at her feet. The Providence of God preserved the holy martyress unharmed through all her torments. Finally, they tied her to two oxen and began to chase after her with red-hot rods, but the strong cords broke asunder like cob-webs, and the oxen ran off, leaving Saint Thekla unharmed. And the people began shouting: "Great is the God of the Christians!" The governor himself became terrified, reasoning it out finally, that the holy martyress was being kept safe by the Almighty God, Whom she served. He then gave orders to set free the servant of God Thekla.
With the blessing of the Apostle Paul, Saint Thekla then settled in the desolate surroundings of Isaurian Seleucia and dwelt there for many years, constantly preaching the Word of God and healing the sick through her prayer. Saint Thekla converted many pagans to Christ, and the Church names her worthily as "Equal-to-the-Apostles" ("Ravnoapostol'na"). Even a pagan priest, seeking to assault her purity and punished for his impudence, was brought by her to holy Baptism. More than once the enemy of the race of man tried to destroy Saint Thekla through people blinded by sin, but the power of God always preserved this faithful servant of Christ.
When Saint Thekla was already a 90 year old woman, pagan sorcerers became incensed at her for treating the sick for free. They were unable to comprehend that the saint was healing the sick by the power of the grace of Christ, and they presumed that the virgin-goddess Artemis (Diana) was her especial patroness. Out of envy against Saint Thekla, they sent their followers to defile her. When they had already approached quite close to her, Saint Thekla cried out for help to Christ the Savior, and the hill split open and hid the holy virgin, the bride of Christ. And thus did Saint Thekla offer up her holy soul to the Lord.
Holy Church glorifies the "First-Suffering" Thekla as "of women the glory and guide for suffering, opening up the way through every torment". From of old many a temple was dedicated to her, one of which was built at Tsargrad (Constantinople) by the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine (Comm. 21 May). And then too, the name of the First-Martyress Equal-to-the-Apostles Thekla, a prayer intercessor for the ascetic, is remembered during the tonsure of women into monasticism.

Take Some Time Today To Contemplate The True Aim Of Your Life And Meditate On The Words Of These Most Blessed Saints

"In acquiring the Spirit of God consists the true aim of our Christian life, while prayer, fasting, almsgiving, virtues and other good works done for Christ's sake are merely means for acquiring the Spirit of God."

St. Seraphim of Sarov

"But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."

Taken from St. Paul's letter to the Philippians

Man Doesn't Know What He Doesn't Know!

Man cannot attain correct knowledge, undistorted observation or clear discernment without the illumination of the Holy Spirit of God. All men are created in the image of God but not all men live in the reflection of that image. There are two classes of men who reside on this earth; those who live their lives as friends of God and those who don't and within each of these two camps reside subjects who suffer from sundry delusional, deceptive and distorted thoughts of varying degrees. " All have sinned, all are broken, all fall short of living in the fullness of what God intended for us. There is none who do good, no, not even one. God looked to and fro upon the earth and found none who truly sought after Him." As mind boggling as it is, this is a universal principle unaffected by time save for the redemptive work of Christ upon the cross and had it not been for this awesome and incomprehendible act, none, absolutely none of us would be good for anything but the dung heap of eternity.

So, how can it be that man made in the image of God, made to live forever in the fellowship and joy of the Lord could fall into such darkness away from the sweet communion of the Holy Trinity? The answer is simple and it is clear. It was triggered by a collective effort of the cunningness of the devil and the free will of man which God bestowed on us so that we could experience what love is, which is what God is, always has been and always will be.

The question which comes to mind after contemplating this truth is this; "How can God who is love allow for such suffering that has come upon the earth since our fall?" I will tell you the answer. It is because God created us to commune with Him and in so doing He gave us the freedom to choose, otherwise we couldn't know what true love is and there is nothing greater in the universe than true love. This love can be defined simply as, "Giving up all that one has for the sake of another". If this one simple principle were to be applied by all men everywhere, we would be living in a perfect world. The good news is that all who truly seek to know and experience this love will one day actually get to live in it, in a perfect world with a perfect body in perfect union with the Holy Trinity and all mankind and those who don't desire this love will live in a place of perpetual existence experiencing whatever else it is that their heart may have desired. The only problem is that they will be living in this new habitation of their own choosing without the fleshly bodies that they once knew on the earth thus creating quite a dilemma in their quest for sex, riches and power which could only be available to them in their old bodies, thus they will experience great torment for the desires will be present in their mind but the ability to carry out those desires will be non-existent. This frustrating experience has been described most accurately as a perpetual "weeping and gnashing of teeth".

Why would anyone to whom life has been bequeathed not turn to the living and almighty God to escape such a torment? There is no logical answer to this question. Man is a broken creature and in his brokenness, nothing makes sense and as a consequence of man's fall, all his reasoning has been enslaved to his master, the devil and his servants, the demons.

Thus is the condition of mankind up to the present day and it will continue to be so until the day life as we know it ends on this earth. This end will come, not because God has caused it but because mankind has quickened it having brought ruin and havoc upon the entire earth and it will be as an act of mercy towards His beloved chosen ones that God will bring it all to a close so that those who seek after life may forever be with Him and those who seek after life apart from God may forever be with the devil and his demons who share in their corrupt desires.

So you may be thinking to yourself, "I know this, it is simple theology" and my response would be, "Yes it is simple theology but how do you know what you know and how much of what you think you know do you not know?" Here is where it gets downright scary. Think about this; the one enthroned over this world, is not Jesus Christ, it is the prince of the power of the air. So, if the prince of the power of the air is in charge, what does that mean for the human race? It means that he and his invisible demons who have great powers to deceive, delude, distort and mislead are actively working in all places everywhere on this earth to bring all men into servitude to him and it matters not to him if you do it in ignorance or in knowledge. Here is a mystery though. Jesus is the Lord of all, yet not all acknowledge Him as Lord. So then if He is lord of all, why does He not lord it over all? It all goes back to free choice, free will and the basic premise that God in mercy, kindness and love, gave mankind the ability to make his own choices. So, in the midst of this seeming chaos, God has provided an escape from enslavement to the devil and the path to deliverance lies within the holy Eastern Orthodox Church.

It is in the Eastern Orthodox Church that you will receive illumination, power and protection so that you may escape the schemes and plans of the devil. Those who reside outside this holy, catholic and apostolic church can only hope for God's mercy as they clamor about as blind and deaf men seeking for meaning, truth and salvation. The devil will play with you as cat plays with a mouse and you know the end of that story.

Is The Temple Already Built?

The Temple of the Lord and the Holy of Holies in all of it's beautiful adornment is present on the earth and has been for almost 2,000 years. The Lord has been present in His temple and His priests have never stopped ministering since the Great Priest, our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into the heavenlies. Where is this temple? Is it in Jerusalem? Yes it is! Is it in Athens? Yes it is! Is it in England, Russia, Serbia, France, Poland, Canada, China, Korea, Japan and America? Yes it is! In every Eastern Orthodox Church and for the first thousand years, every Western Orthodox Church, our Lord and God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit has filled His temple and dwelt within the Holy of Holies to minister to us poor and wretched souls who have sought Him in all humility of heart. God in His majesty and mercy has clothed Himself with the rags of man to become like us so that He might save us from our brokenness which occurred when Adam fell. Now, because of God's mercy, death has been conquered and all men will be raised, no longer held fast by chains of death and we celebrate His sacrifice and resurrection for us at every liturgy in every temple in which He dwells all over the face of the earth. The fullness of the Godhead is dwelling among men now and the opportunity to experience the beauty of the Lord in His glorious raimnent is possible even now on earth as it is in heaven. Just visit an Eastern Orthodox Church and you will see for yourself the beauty of the Lord in the habitation of His people.