And which of you by being anxious
can add a single hour to his span of life?—Matthew 6:27
Something’s coming. Doesn’t it always feel like that? Maybe it’s something financial . . . maybe work-related . . . maybe health-related . . . definitely bad. And so, we worry. I mean, it almost feels like that’s just a part of being a man, worrying about what’s coming. We worry about all the bad things that could happen, to us and to our loved ones. We scheme about how to get o... moreGood day Templar family
And which of you by being anxious
can add a single hour to his span of life?—Matthew 6:27
Something’s coming. Doesn’t it always feel like that? Maybe it’s something financial . . . maybe work-related . . . maybe health-related . . . definitely bad. And so, we worry. I mean, it almost feels like that’s just a part of being a man, worrying about what’s coming. We worry about all the bad things that could happen, to us and to our loved ones. We scheme about how to get out in front of all those things. Then we worry some more about whether we’re actually men enough to execute our schemes. All this worrying hangs over our lives. It haunts our thoughts and steals important moments—moments that should be joy-filled.
But, it would be irresponsible not to worry, wouldn’t it? We’ve been trained to worry, all our lives. We’ve been trained that we with responsibilities are supposed to worry. It’s part of life
Or is it? Our King, Jesus Christ, teaches us that it’s actually not. You see, He didn’t come so that we’d live lives haunted by fear. He came and died to set us free from such things (Galatians 5:1). He assures us, our Father God will take care of us, whether we worry or not (Matthew 6:26). We must, therefore, adopt a radical, new mindset: “We don’t know what’s coming . . . but our Father God does. So, we’ll leave it to Him.”
Letting go of worry is tough. You must approach it not only intellectually, but practically too. You cannot simply command yourself, “worry less.” That, by itself, doesn’t work so well. You must get practical by actually talking about worries with a spouse, a friend, with brothers in community. That does work (2 Corinthians 12:9). Getting your worries out into the open is as powerful as it is counterintuitive. So, brother and sisters, defy your instincts.
Have a blessed Thursday
God's blessings.
Priory of St.Miltiades (OMSDT)
Freedom in Christ (Libertas in Christo)
Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts:
Consider your ways—Haggai 1:5
God loves us with fierceness and tenderness. The scope of His love is shocking. It’s infinite, in fact—because He is. It burns bright and hot and true. We couldn’t ever plot it on a graph, of course—because no one could draw a y-axis that high or an x-axis that long; no page, no screen could ever contain it. But if we could plot His love, the line would be high and perfectly flat. It wouldn’t ... moreGood day Templar family
Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts:
Consider your ways—Haggai 1:5
God loves us with fierceness and tenderness. The scope of His love is shocking. It’s infinite, in fact—because He is. It burns bright and hot and true. We couldn’t ever plot it on a graph, of course—because no one could draw a y-axis that high or an x-axis that long; no page, no screen could ever contain it. But if we could plot His love, the line would be high and perfectly flat. It wouldn’t fluctuate over time. Not in response to our actions, our best or even our worst. Not even a little (Psalm 103:8; Lamentations 3:22-23).
But He does tell us what kind of actions He most prefers, the kind that bring joy—to us and to Him. And it’s less about hours logged in pews on Sundays or how many times we read through the Gospels. What regulates His joy—and ours—is how we treat people around us. It’s if we’re kind, and how well we notice and meet the needs of people in our close proximity.
“Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity” (Luke 6:37-38 MSG).
Throughout your day, today, imagine a circle—one with a 2-meter radius, you at the center. Notice who comes into that circle. Learn their names. Treat them with care and notice their needs—friendship, mercy, love, hope—and consider how you might help meet those needs.
(There’s nothing special about 2m. What matters is increasing intentionality. And, truly, a man could spend his entire lifetime just trying to meet the needs of people who’d come into his 2m circle—so, it’s a good place to start.)
Have a blessed Monday
God's blessings.
Freedom in Christ
My brothers, show no partiality
as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ—James 2:1
We men tend toward partiality. Sometimes with forethought, many times with no thought, we give or withhold based upon characteristics of the potential recipients. We can, therefore, find ourselves directing all our time and attention, our kindness and generosity, toward only those who live, look, sound, spend, sin . . . like we do. This plays out in many areas of life and, theref... moreGood day Templar family
My brothers, show no partiality
as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ—James 2:1
We men tend toward partiality. Sometimes with forethought, many times with no thought, we give or withhold based upon characteristics of the potential recipients. We can, therefore, find ourselves directing all our time and attention, our kindness and generosity, toward only those who live, look, sound, spend, sin . . . like we do. This plays out in many areas of life and, therefore, many areas of faith—in service, giving, worship, and certainly in brotherhood.
But James, brother of our King, Jesus Christ, cautioned us to oppose this tendency:
“For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ while you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there,’ or, ‘Sit down at my feet,’ have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” (James 2:2-4).
So, what’s wrong with partiality? Well, intending to or not, we harm people. We harm them by disregarding them, those whom God wants us to impact or serve or befriend, but who don’t quite make our cut (Proverbs 28:21). God put us here for one another (Matthew 22:39). Partiality means we forsake people who need us. And if that’s not bad enough, we harm ourselves. We cut ourselves off from relationships—and often the weightiest. You see, those we’re meant to impact are meant to impact us, right back.
How’re you doing with this, brother? The test is simple—look around. Who are you spending time with? Whom are you serving? There should be people in your life who’re nothing like you. Are there?
Have a blessed Sunday and week ahead
God's blessings.
Priory of St.Miltiades (OMSDT)
Freedom in Christ
We are saved by grace alone apart from works. God desires perfection, but nobody is perfect. Christ became that perfection and He is who we put our trust in. What no one seems to understand in this godless generation is if you are truly saved you will be converted.
There will be a renewing of your mind. You will grow in your hatred for the things that God hates and in your love for the things that God loves. Don’t tell me you are a Christian when your life contradicts t... moreGood day Templar family
We are saved by grace alone apart from works. God desires perfection, but nobody is perfect. Christ became that perfection and He is who we put our trust in. What no one seems to understand in this godless generation is if you are truly saved you will be converted.
There will be a renewing of your mind. You will grow in your hatred for the things that God hates and in your love for the things that God loves. Don’t tell me you are a Christian when your life contradicts that. Don’t tell me you love God when your life contradicts that.
Jesus Himself said most people who profess to be Christian are not getting into Heaven. The church has gone astray. Most people will hear, “depart from Me I never knew you. Your life contradicts what you professed to be.” In these dire times people don’t want God they just want to go to Heaven. Can a Christian struggle with sin and even fall into sin? Yes, but a Christian will never live a continuous life of sin because God will not let His children go astray. Some grow slower than others, but a true believer grows.
God will work in His child’s life to make him into the image of Christ. Once again we are saved only by faith in the blood of Jesus. He is our only hope. He alone satisfied God’s wrath, but we must never forget the doctrine of regeneration
Our obedience to the Lord comes from our love for Him and our appreciation for the great price that was paid for us. Jesus calls us to obedience. In fact, obedience to God is an act of worship to Him.
Have a blessed Friday
God's blessings.
Freedom in Christ (Libertas in Christo)🇿🇦
There have been many times where we just wanted to quit. “God it’s not going to work. God what am I going to do? God what good can come from this? Lord you said you would help me. Lord I can’t do it without you.”
That is right you can’t do it without God. You can do nothing without the Lord. God will help us in all our trials. Sometimes I think to myself, “why did you allow this to happen God?” Then, I find out why and feel stupid.
Don’t trust in your situation and don... moreGood day Templar family
There have been many times where we just wanted to quit. “God it’s not going to work. God what am I going to do? God what good can come from this? Lord you said you would help me. Lord I can’t do it without you.”
That is right you can’t do it without God. You can do nothing without the Lord. God will help us in all our trials. Sometimes I think to myself, “why did you allow this to happen God?” Then, I find out why and feel stupid.
Don’t trust in your situation and don’t look to what is seen. All the trials you go through in life are making you stronger. You will see God working in your life if you’re a Christian. You won’t remain in those trials. Don’t give up. You will go through trials and get out and then go back in them, but always remember the mighty hand of God is at work.
Don’t waste your trials go into that prayer closet and cry out to God. Glorify God in your suffering, “not my will God, but your will.” God will help you have faith. Yes it is important to read His Word, but you must call on the Lord daily. You must build your prayer life. God will not leave His children.
Don’t take my word for it believe in His promises. When everything is going good in life you will probably boast in yourself. When things are going bad that’s when you will glorify God and trust in Him more because you know it’s only the Almighty God that can help you and He gets all the credit when you get through it. Pray and fast, sometimes God doesn’t answer in our way or our time, but He answers in the best way and at the best time.
Have a blessed Wednesday
Priory of St.Miltiades (OMSDT)
Freedom in Christ
Look carefully then how you walk . . . making the best use of the time,
because the days are evil—Ephesians 5:15-16
When sacred opportunities come—opportunities to listen, to care, to encourage, to serve, to give, to tell others about our faith—we men often use a tactic called “too busy, right now.” We say the words out loud, sometimes. More often, we say them to ourselves and just keep moving. We then rationalize the dodge by using a second tactic, one called “make ... moreGood day Templar family
Look carefully then how you walk . . . making the best use of the time,
because the days are evil—Ephesians 5:15-16
When sacred opportunities come—opportunities to listen, to care, to encourage, to serve, to give, to tell others about our faith—we men often use a tactic called “too busy, right now.” We say the words out loud, sometimes. More often, we say them to ourselves and just keep moving. We then rationalize the dodge by using a second tactic, one called “make up for it later.” That is, we imagine ourselves jumping into other, similar opportunities, eventually—when things slow down a bit maybe.
God knows we’re busy. He sees how busy we are, right now. And he calls us still. You see, these sacred opportunities don’t come by chance. He places them carefully in front of us. He knows we’re busy . . . and He knows what He’s doing. He knew what he was doing when he called Simon and Andrew, when the brothers were busy fishing (Mark 1:16-18). He knew what he was doing when he called James and John, when those brothers were busy mending nets (Mark 1:19-20). He knew what he was doing when he called Levi, when Levi was busy collecting taxes (Mark 2:14). He knows what he’s doing when he calls us too, even when we’re busy. He doesn’t wait because he knows our time is scarce. He knows that we have none to waste.
“We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4).
What was your last sacred opportunity, brother and sisters? What did you do? Is the opportunity still open? If not, take a moment to decide what you’ll do the next time a sacred opportunity comes. Commit to stepping into it and making the most of the precious time you’ve been given.
Have a blessed Monday
God's blessings.
Priory of St.Miltiades (OMSDT)
Freedom in Christ
Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
Have you recently trusted in Christ alone for salvation? Now it’s time to start your journey. Your Christian journey will not be easy, but God will give you strength to press on daily and overcome any situation. God promises to work in your life until the end to make you more like Christ. The Christian life is like a huge adventure with Christ
You might have to take a few pit stops... moreGood day Templar family
Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
Have you recently trusted in Christ alone for salvation? Now it’s time to start your journey. Your Christian journey will not be easy, but God will give you strength to press on daily and overcome any situation. God promises to work in your life until the end to make you more like Christ. The Christian life is like a huge adventure with Christ
You might have to take a few pit stops, you might get a flat tire here and there, you might go through a few thunderstorms, but though all your experiences, fruit is being built. You are becoming stronger, and your faith and reliance in Christ is growing.
God will take out bad habits and sin from our life. God has given us various things to help us on our journey such as prayer. We must spend time with the Lord daily. We are to have an intimate relationship with God. We are given the Bible to help us walk uprightly.
Scripture will help us connect and focus on the Lord. It will protect us from many different situations in life and give us daily wisdom. God has given believers the Holy Spirit to help us on our walk of faith. He will guide us in the right direction.
He will show us what to do. He will convict us when we’re going the wrong way. He will show us things in our lives that are holding us back and more.
We can also pray to the Spirit for help, peace, and comfort in times of trouble. We might be in the world, but we are not to follow the worlds desires. Allow your journey to glorify God.
Have a blessed Saturday
God's blessings.
Freedom in Christ (Libertas in Christo)🇿🇦🇬🇪🇮🇱⚔️
We love to measure things. And we have, at our disposal, highly accurate gauges for measuring just about anything, including the progress of our lives. I mean, we never have to wonder which careers are most prestigious; which jobs are most coveted; which neighborhoods are most exclusive; which vacations are most glamorous; which cars are most luxurious. Our culture makes sure its gauges remain well calibrated.
We love to measure things. And we have, at our disposal, highly accurate gauges for measuring just about anything, including the progress of our lives. I mean, we never have to wonder which careers are most prestigious; which jobs are most coveted; which neighborhoods are most exclusive; which vacations are most glamorous; which cars are most luxurious. Our culture makes sure its gauges remain well calibrated.
“Listen carefully . . . and be wary of the shrewd advice that tells you how to get ahead in the world . . .” (Mark 4:24 MSG).
The problem is, such things are not proper for measuring the progress of any life. There’s nothing wrong with careers or communities or cars, in-and-of themselves. They’re just not appropriate gauges in this context. Using them is like using a thermometer to measure the weight of a steel beam. It doesn’t work. Likewise, improper gauges won’t work for us, for measuring our lives as men. We must create and calibrate new gauges, ones that can properly measure our lives, because they measure the right stuff—like how we’re doing as husbands or wives, as fathers or mothers, as friends, as neighbors; and how we’re doing toward becoming the person God intends us to become.
Build new gauges for yourself, ones that measure things like . . . how many nights you are home for dinner; or how often you sit down and pray with your wife or girlfriend; or how often you have conversations with your sons or daughters about their dreams or their fears; or how often you meet with brothers in community; or how often you drop what you’re doing to spend time with friends in need. Get practical. Build a simple spreadsheet, for example. Or create a calendar. Do what makes sense for you, but start measuring, today.
Have a blessed Thursday
God's blessings.
Priory of St.Miltiades
Freedom in Christ (Libertas in Christo)🇿🇦🇬🇪🇮🇱⚔️
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ— James 2:1
We tend toward partiality. Sometimes with forethought, many times with no thought, we give or withhold based upon characteristics of the potential recipients. We can, therefore, find ourselves directing all our time and attention, our kindness and generosity, toward only those who live, look, sound, spend, sin . . . like we do. This plays out in many areas of life and, therefore, ... moreGood day Templar family
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ— James 2:1
We tend toward partiality. Sometimes with forethought, many times with no thought, we give or withhold based upon characteristics of the potential recipients. We can, therefore, find ourselves directing all our time and attention, our kindness and generosity, toward only those who live, look, sound, spend, sin . . . like we do. This plays out in many areas of life and, therefore, many areas of faith—in service, giving, worship, and certainly in brotherhood.
But James, brother of our King, Jesus Christ, cautioned us to oppose this tendency:
“For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ while you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there,’ or, ‘Sit down at my feet,’ have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” ( James
2:2-4).
So, what’s wrong with partiality? Well, intending to or not, we harm people. We harm them by disregarding them, those whom God wants us to impact or serve or befriend, but who don’t quite make our cut (Proverbs 28:21). God put us here for one another (Matthew 22:39). Partiality means we forsake people who need us. And if that’s not bad enough, we harm ourselves. We cut ourselves off from relationships—and often the weightiest. You see, those we’re meant to impact are meant to impact us, right back.
How’re you doing with this,? The test is simple—look around. Who are you spending time with? Whom are you serving? There should be people in your life who’re nothing like you. Are there?
Have a blessed Tuesday
God's blessings.
Priory of St.Miltiades
Freedom in Christ (Libertas in Christo)🇿🇦🇬🇪🇮🇱⚔️
CAA Genova T. Spencer
Priory of the Calvary Cross
Faith in action, hope in heart