Here is the promise again:
All of us who have been the object of such false accusations should be rejoicing! In a meager way perhaps but nevertheless, suffering such things makes us a partaker with Christ:
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us. – Romans 8:16-18
Your post 2829 for instance makes an oblique reference to Orthodox Christians being accused of worshiping “stumps.”
Dear Kolokotronis, if that is a false accusation you and your fellow Orthodox are suffering for Christ’s sake, you should never be upset over it – or meet fire with fire. You should be rejoicing as I do because of the promise.
When I am called “Gnostic” or “Heretic” or “Apostate” or “Infidel” – or when I am accused of demonic ESP or snake handling or Spiritual shallowness and other such things, I rejoice! And no matter how initially shocking the charge might be, the above promise comes to mind - as does this warning to me which tempers my reaction:
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. - 1 John 4:7-11
I’m trying this one without the font size html. Please let me know if it is more readable to you.
Maranatha, Jesus!!!
Personally, I prefer the ten-point font size....
What a marvelous, beautiful, gracious essay/post, dearest sister in Christ!
Why are you shouting? I could hear you just as you were.
” Your reply is very curious, dear Kolokotronis – because instead of receiving the promise as a Spiritual Truth applicable to all of us Christians you have evidently presumed that the promise applies only to me.
Here is the promise again:
Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. - Matthew 5:11-12”
Curious? Like I said, you are being questioned because of the content of your posts which I believe have a source other than God. Your comments remind me of a convert couple at our parish many years ago who became convinced that any use of the Gregorian calendar by The Church was heretical, not a violation of a disciplinary canon but heresy. When very few people were interested in what they were spouting off about, they sent a mass email to everyone outlining their position and announcing they were leaving for a particularly rigid, almost cult-like group which claims to be Orthodox. When the priest confronted them about their pride, they announced that, “Like
God’s Holy Apostles, we are called to suffer for the Faith.”
They got laughed at. They left and years later came back... minus the pride and are now much cherished members of the community.
God bless you, A-G. Your posts are always a blessing.
Me too.. for at some (spiritual)stage I was all those things and more and may be again.. But I was brought through all of them.. I know my faith and whom I have faith in.. because of the HEEL MARKS I see following me.. MY heel marks.. The(my) precious savior saved me with such bodacious salvation I cannot even express it adequately..
Where some notice the "foot prints" in the sand (metaphorically) because they were "carried" I must see the heel marks.. because I was "DRAGGED".. Much to my amazement and good fortune..
NOW THATS LOVE... sister(s) and brother(s)... thats love..
"He" stuck his hand into the mud pit even a fiery pit and dragged me to safety and a clean place.. all the while I'm complaining.. WHY?.. WHY you ask?.. I have no excuse the BIG GUY just loves me I guess.. I am a fortunate person the lotto is chump change.. I won the big one..
I'm just sayin, you know what I mean?..
Really? As I have noted before, and as StFA alluded to in his comments, I believe that you are deceived in your beliefs. That the piosities you have posted here are not of God but rather from this world. It may be that you are in your personal life, though living outside The Church(indeed living a life in knowing rejection of The Church)sincerely trying to imitate Christ. I have no way of knowing that. Assuming for the moment that you are trying to live such a life, then it appears to me that what is influencing you is not the HS but rather a demon. Sincere seekers after Christ often attract demons and in all honesty, to the extent that the seeker is estranged from God’s Holy Church, the “smaller” or “weaker” the demon, though the result of that demonic influence can be as destructive as that wrought by the most powerful of the Evil One’s fellow travelers.
Back in the 6th century there were two holy monastics who lived in the Palestinian desert called +Barsanuphius the Great and +John the Prophet. Their “sayings” were collected by their spiritual children, written down in question and answer form and have been passed down through the centuries to this day. They, being monastics who lived in the desolate wastes of the desert, had particular familiarity with all sorts of demons. Their advice regarding them is particularly prized among Christians. I offer you this one to think about:
Spiritual child: “Can the demons communicate anything good? And how does one discover that it is demonic? And what distinguishes it from something good from God?”
The saints answer: “To someone it might seem that he receives something good, but this is from the evil one for his deception. For every good thing which comes from the devil for the deception of a man, being precisely examined, turns out to be unreal; for the devil is a liar, and there is no truth in him (John 8:44), as is shown by the consequences of that (false good). His light ends in darkness, according to the Apostle’s word which speaks about diabolic heralds transformed into the servants of righteousness “whose end will be according to their deeds” (II Corinthians 11:15); and the Savior says: “From their fruit ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:16). If you investigate with understanding and judgment, you will find in the false good (which comes) from the devil, there was not even a trace of good, but either vainglory, or disturbance, or something similar; but the good which comes from God always increases enlightenment and humility of heart and gives a man quietness.
But when, out of ignorance, we suffer in something from the deception of the evil one, and later we recognize in this a temptation, then let us call ourselves and hasten to Him Who is powerful to do away with this temptation. One should know that to some the difference (between the good of the devil and that of God) is understandable from the very beginning; while to sinners, only at the end (of the temptation), just as a skilled master in gold work can take gold (in his hand) and tell before it is tested with fire of what sort it is, while an unskilled one does not find this out until it has been tested with fire.”
Catechumens today often are given one or more copies of the “words” of these monastic saints. There are many reasons for this, but among the primary ones is to forearm the catechumen for spiritual combat with demons. Westerners sometimes have a hard time with this. Of course, among the Evil One’s greatest accomplishments is convincing people tat he doesn’t exist.