My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
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IS YOUR FAITH IN GOD IN CRISIS?
"Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, 'How long has this been happening to him?' And he said, 'From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.' Jesus said to him, 'if you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.' Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief" (St. Mark 9:20-24)
The work of salvation belongs entirely to the Almighty God and Creator. It is God the Father through Christ and the Holy Spirit, Who has the Divine power to heal and rescue us from forces of illnesses, evil, sin death and the devil. Faith is our response to God's unconditional love. Faith is the foundation of Christian spiritual life. Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you" (St. Matthew 17:20). Faith is a gift from God. It is a special gift bestowed by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ which affects things beyond man's power. But it is always both a belief and a trust.
"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
"By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise...
"By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age...
"By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son...
"By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
"By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph...
"By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones (Holy Relics).
"By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents...
"By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused t be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter...
"By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king...
"By faith he kept the Passover...
"By faith they passed through the Red Sea...
"By faith the walls of Jericho fell down...
"By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe..." (Hebrews11:8-31).
Saint Paul writes, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). "A vision of the future, have encouraged the believers of God throughout history: the invisible is often more real than the visible. In the past, mighty works of faith were done by those whose faith was unfulfilled (they did not see redemption in their lifetime).
Through His life Our Lord was calling for faith; faith in Himself, faith in God His Father, faith in the Gospel, faith in the Kingdom of God. The fundamental condition of the Christian spiritual life is faith, for with faith come hope and love and every good thing and the grace of the Holy Spirit.
"He that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life" (St. John 3:36). Our faith is always directed to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for it is He Who is the All-Merciful Savior, and it is He in Whom our faith is placed. As we read in the Holy Scripture "For God so loved the world that He gave His Only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should perish, but have everlasting life" (St. John 3:16).
Faith is at times opposed to human reason and belief to knowledge. A Christian cannot possibly believe in something he does not already know. Faith must be built upon trust and knowledge, it must never be blind. Knowledge itself is frequently built upon faith.
Each man, woman, and child must believe for himself. No one can believe for another person. In order for our faith to be real and genuine, we must acknowledge it in everyday life. We must think, feel and act according to our Christian faith and reveal it through our goodness and compassion for our fellowman. It is our God Who makes our faith genuine and real. We must ever attempt out of arrogance and pride to "tempt God" or "put God to the test" by doing unwise things just for the sake of seeing if the Lord will participate in our foolishness.
Always remember that He is the Creator and you are the creature.
Our soul needs to be always in communion with God. We must always approach our God with a contrite heart, with reverence, humbleness, faith, trust, and love. Think of the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ as often as possible, begging Him to forgive your sins and receive you into His Heavenly Kingdom. May the Name of Jesus always be on your lips, in your soul and your heart.
No Christian should ever set conditions to his faith. No Christian should be disobedient to God's Divine Commandments or be so-called. "Selective" what he accepts or rejects of the teachings of our Lord. Don't be rebellious and defiant instead be meek, humble, and faithful.
With love in our Merciful Lord,
+Father George