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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THE JESUS PRAYER (Part II)
In Church history we read the following incident: "A soldier called Neokorus, a native of Carthage, was in the Roman garrison guarding Jerusalem at the time when our Lord Jesus Christ suffered His voluntary passion and death for the redemption of the human race. Seeing the miracles worked at the Lord's death and resurrection, Neokorus believed in the Lord and was baptized by the Holy Apostles. After finishing his term of service, Neokorus returned to Carthage and shared the treasure of faith with his whole family...
"The gracious power of the prayer of Jesus is contained in the Divine Name itself of the God-man, our Lord Jesus Christ. Although there is abundant evidence in Holy Scripture proving the greatness of the name of God, yet the importance of this name was explained with special precision by the holy Apostle Peter before the Jewish Sanhedrin when the council asked the Apostle "by what power, or by what name," he had given healing to a man lame from birth. Then Peter, "filled with the Holy Spirit, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people and elders of Israel, If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Whom ye crucified, WhomGod raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:7-12). This witness is the testimony of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle's mouth, tongue, and voice were merely the Spirit's instruments."
Another organ of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle of the Gentiles (St. Paul), gives similar evidence. "Whosoever, he says, shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13). Christ Jesus...humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth and things under the earth" (Phil. 2:5-10).
Seeing the distant future, David, an ancestor of Jesus according to the flesh, sang the greatness of the name of Jesus, and vividly described the effect of this name, the struggle by means of it with the principles of sin, its power to deliver those who pray by it from captivity to the passions and demons, and the triumph of those who win a spiritual victory by the name of Jesus. Let us listen to inspired David! "O Lord our Lord," he cries, "how wonderful is Thy name in all the earth! For Thy magnificence is lifted high above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, hast Thou perfected praise, because of Thine enemies, to destroy the enemy and avenger" (Pss 8:2). Exactly! The greatness of the name of Jesus is beyond the comprehension of rational creatures of earth and heaven. The comprehension of it is incomprehensibly grasped by child-like simplicity and faith. In this same disinterested spirit, we must approach prayer in the name of Jesus and continue in that prayer. Our perseverance and attention in prayer must be like the constant striving of an infant for his mother's breasts. Then prayer in the name of Jesus will be crowned with complete success, the invisible foes will be defeated, and the enemy and avenger will be finally crushed. The enemy is called the avenger because he tries to take from those who pray (especially at times, not incessantly) after prayer what they have obtained during prayer.
In order to win a decisive victory unceasing prayer and constant vigilance are indispensable.
[Orthodox Christians must follow the pattern assigned to them by their spiritual father.]
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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George