Written by Greg Pantelidis BSc(Hons)
gregpantelidis@gmail.com
Do everything in secret, hidden from the three opposers: the world, the body, and the dragon. Fast, give charity, pray, study, Confess, Commune, in a way hidden from the three opposers: the world, the body, and the dragon.
The three opposers will tell you: Why fast? Why give charity? Why pray? Why study? Why Confess? Why Commune?
(Wisd. of Sirach 32:19): “Do nothing without counsel”.
Make a firm decision to practice fasting, charity, obedience, humility, and chastity.
Make a firm decision to practice mental virtue, heart virtue, verbal virtue, and bodily virtue.
Asceticism is: fasting, vigil, charity, self-denial, abstinence, and chastity. Canonical practice is: eating canonically, sleeping canonically, possessing canonically, obedience, canonical use, and canonical sexual relations.
Practice guarding of the mind and heart always. Practice prayer always. Guarding and prayer are the shield of our life.
Do not only have a pious appearance but be truly pious. Do not have only a humble appearance but be truly humble.
Do not have care only for the material, but have care for the spiritual: virtue, spiritual knowledge, and spiritual gifts.
Bear the illnesses of youth: making a mess with food, making a mess with possessions, illogical behavior, illogical speech, disobedience.
Do not only have a pious appearance. Have also a pious heart, a pious mind, and a pious tongue. Do not only have a humble appearance. Have also a humble heart, a humble mind, and a humble tongue.
Do not do anything that is religiously illegal. Do not do anything that goes against the Law of Moses and the Law of Lord Jesus.
To be paid by the Lord we must work. Whether we work from the first, third, sixth, ninth, or eleventh hour, we must work to be paid. No idle person will be paid. Our work is to practice fasting, charity, vigil, study, prayer, guarding of the mind and heart, obedience, humility, chastity, and love.
Do you want to be a wild horse, untrained and useless, or do you want to be a temple of grace?
Remember that you are betrothed to Lord Jesus and must preserve your betrothal. In the other life you will be married to Lord Jesus. Practice self-denial and obedience to attain betrothal and to preserve it.
Self-denial is the secret to salvation. Self-denial and betrothal to Lord Jesus. Practice self-denial and you will be free, happy, and betrothed!
Self-denial does not require a special place. In every place you can practice self-denial. Where you are remain and practice self-denial.
Have a consecrated mind. A consecrated heart. A consecrated tongue. A consecrated body. Be consecrated to God.
Have no fear. Believe and hope in Lord Jesus. Lord Jesus defeated the dragon and his kingdom of false Gods, pride, lawlessness, and despair.
Pagan religion and animal sacrifice have been abolished. The sacrifice on the Cross of Lord Jesus atones for all sin, and has brought an end to the kingdom of false Gods, unbelief, pride, lawlessness, and despair.
Be prudent, having nothing illogical in your mind, heart, tongue, or body.
Be perfect, for God is perfect. Be holy, for God is holy.
Live in non-wealth, non-glory, and non-pleasure. Such a life brings comfort to our heart.
We all will die one day. Let us always have that day in mind.
Every form of evil is illegal and requires repentance and correction. Mental evil is illegal. Heart evil is illegal. Tongue evil is illegal. Bodily evil is illegal.
Do not meditate on illegal things. Meditate on what is legal according to the Law of Moses and the Law of Lord Jesus.
Give cold water to your brother who thirsts in body and soul. Cold water for the soul is the word of grace, refreshment, and enlightenment.
Work unceasingly. Do your spiritual work day and night. Without work there is no progress and no reward.
Correct your illegality, that is, your cunning and malice.
Have non-cunning. Have non-malice. Always keep your mind and heart free of cunning and malice.
Never accept cunning thoughts. Live in the world of constant good, holy, and positive thoughts.
Be guided by the Law of Moses, and by the Law of Lord Jesus. These two laws we must study, meditate, and practice. These two laws are the Way of Life and the Way of Light.
Every human person is created in the image and likeness of God. The likeness of God is achieved by submission to God and the keeping of the Law of Moses and the Law of Lord Jesus.
The Cross of Lord Jesus is the death of false Gods, unbelief, pride, lawlessness, and despair.
In our daily routine we must practice fasting, charity, obedience, humility, and chastity. We must lay up the treasure of fasting, charity, obedience, humility, and chastity.
All virtue, all knowledge, and all spiritual gifts are God’s. Let us thank God for these gifts and let us be always humble and contrite.
Every day practice your rule with zeal and devotion.
Consider the five misconducts and correct yourself: overeating, stealing or overpossessing, disobedience, vanity, and unchastity.
How wonderful it is to be with the saints! The saints are our mighty guardians. They care for us and help us. They wish us to become like them: humble, meek, merciful, and loving.
For every injustice we think, say, or practice, we must recant, restitute, confess, correct, vow non-repeat, and practice justice henceforth.
If a brother sins against us we must rebuke him. If he repents we must forgive him. (See Luke 17:3). The rebuke must be private at first, then if it is not accepted must it be made public. (See Matt. 18:15).
Lord Jesus is the Great Warrior, the Defeater of the dragon, the Abolisher of the kingdom of false Gods, unbelief, pride, lawlessness, despair, death, and Hades.
We must seek the life of gospel virtue, gospel wisdom, and spiritual gifts. Not the life of wealth, worldly glory, and pleasure.
If you become a vessel of grace you will become a steward of grace to others. Therefore seek to become a vessel of grace so that you can help others.
Your mind must become a vessel of grace. Your heart must become a vessel of grace. Your tongue must become a vessel of grace. Your body must become a vessel of grace. The vessels of grace are the true priests and priestesses of God.
Humility of mind makes the mind a vessel of grace. Humility of heart makes the heart a vessel of grace. Humility of tongue and body, mind and heart, make a person a vessel of grace.
Self-denial makes us vessels of grace. Obedience makes us vessels of grace. Faith makes us vessels of grace. Humility makes us vessels of grace.
The mind becomes Godlike when it becomes a vessel of grace, and when it has humility, meekness, mercy, and love.
A true vessel of grace has humility, meekness, mercy, and love. A vessel of wrath has pride, wrath, non-mercy, and hatred.
What do you want to be? A vessel of grace or a vessel of wrath?
Practice obedience to your elders and you will become a vessel of grace, a vessel of gospel virtue and gospel wisdom.
He who practices obedience loves all and is loved by all.
A vessel of wrath is in the likeness of the dragon: pride, wrath, non-mercy, and hatred. A vessel of mercy is in the likeness of God: humility, meekness, mercy, and love.
The fundamental precept of Orthodox Christianity is to guard the mind and heart, and to pray. (See Matt. 26:41).
Have no fear of what you encounter and the events of your life. The Lord is a good, wise, and just God. Nothing can happen to you outside His will.
The saints were so dead to the body that they lived like they were bodiless. They were dead to every need of the body, allowing it only its most frugal need.
Everyday practice the ten practices: 1) Stillness 2) Obedience 3) Fasting 4) Vigil 5) Prayer 6) Psalmody 7) Charity 8) Study 9) Questioning of the Elders 10) Guarding of the Mind and Heart.
Practice obedience to the Law of Moses. Practice obedience to the Law of Lord Jesus. Practice obedience to your daily rule. Practice obedience to the opinion and assignments of your spiritual father.
Do not be a disciple of the dragon: thinking, saying, and practicing evil. Be a disciple of Lord Jesus: thinking, saying and practicing the Law of Lord Jesus.
The disciples of the dragon practice pride, wrath, non-mercy, and hatred. The disciples of Lord Jesus practice humility, meekness, mercy, and love.
What do you prefer? Food, possessions (including knowledge), glory, and romance, or your Creator?
Can you fathom the Judgment of Lord Jesus? Can you fathom my shame before the judge who knows all my thoughts, feelings, words, and works from the day I was born to the day I died?
Hate the dragon and his angels with perfect hatred. Recall all our brethren who have been deluded by sin and hate the dragon with perfect hatred. Recall all your sins and hate them and the dragon with perfect hatred.
Whoever does not seek Lord Jesus and His atonement will die in his sins. (See John 8:24).
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Lord Jesus. He is the Almighty and Eternal King. (See Matt. 28:18).
Hate sin with perfect hatred. Hate sin with perfect fury. Hate sin with perfect stubbornness. Hate sin with perfect rancor. Hate sin with perfect renunciation.
If a person does not want to be a member of Lord Jesus, that is, a member of His Orthodox Church, he is not compelled. By his own choice he chooses to be a member of the secular church or of the Orthodox Church. Only the members though of Lord Jesus can enter His kingdom.
Never sadden your brethren. Remember the commandments: “Give to him who asks you”. “From him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away”. (See Matt. 5:42). If we sadden our brethren in material or spiritual things we lose the blessing of God.
When you do a good work only accept thanks, never glory, honor, or praise. All glory, honor, and praise for good work belongs to God.
See the positive in every misfortune that visits you. In this way you will succeed in benefiting from every event, whether misfortune or good fortune.
It is with the power of Lord Jesus that we abstain from evil and practice every virtue. Without Lord Jesus we cannot be freed from evil, nor practice virtue. The mystery of the power of Lord Jesus is a hidden mystery, revealed to the humble.
Do not think that you are a sinner and the teachers and clergy of the Orthodox Church are sinless. We are all sinners: teachers, clergy, and laity. We all need the forgiveness and mercy of God.
Have mercy towards every person no matter how sinful they are. Have love towards every person, no matter how sinful they are. Pray for every person, that they may come to Lord Jesus and receive mercy, forgiveness, and salvation.
Be good not only in tongue. Be good also in mind, heart, and body. Be wise not only in tongue. Be wise also in mind, heart, and body.
Because we have free will we must take all the responsibility for our transgressions. This full responsibility will lead us to recant our transgressions, turning to Lord Jesus in remorse, repentance, and confession.
Recant your transgressions of the Law of Moses and the Law of Lord Jesus. Recant and confess your transgressions. Only by recanting can you attain freedom from guilt and salvation.
Recant your every evil thought. Recant your every evil feeling. Recant your every evil word. Recant your every evil practice.
It is with the power of Lord Jesus that we practice gospel virtue. It is with the power of Lord Jesus that we advance in gospel wisdom.
With an increase in knowledge also increase in humility, charity, and love.
When a person does a good work they deserve thanks, but not glory or praise. Glory and praise for a good work belong to God. (See Matt. 5:16).
On General Judgment Day there will be three groups on the left and three groups on the right. First on the left are the ungodly. Second on the left are the cowardly godly. Third on the left are the lovers of possessions godly. First on the right are the thirty-fold virtuous. Second on the right are the sixty-fold virtuous. Third on the right are the hundred-fold virtuous.
Remember the four addictions: food addiction, possessions (including knowledge) addiction, glory addiction, and romance addiction. These four addictions characterize the worldly person. The Orthodox Christian Faith aims to break these four addictions and to lead the believer to the life of grace, gospel virtue, and gospel wisdom.
The four addictions make a person proud, short-tempered, and prone to sorrow, lethargy, envy, fear, and hatred. Any deprivation or delay is received with short-temper. Any injustice is received with short-temper. May Lord Jesus deliver us from the four addictions and the pride and short-temper they induce.
The three groups on the left contain the carnals, the psychicals, and the naturals. The three groups on the right contain the spirituals.
You must have communion with Lord Jesus. Lord Jesus is the victor over false Gods, unbelief, pride, lawlessness, and despair. Lord Jesus is the victor over death. Have all your hope in Lord Jesus. He will take care of you and deliver you from all your foes.
God’s providence leads us to deification. Gospel virtue is God’s. Gospel wisdom is God’s. Spiritual gifts are God’s. God leads every Orthodox Christian who seeks Him from gospel virtue to gospel virtue, gospel wisdom to gospel wisdom, spiritual gift to spiritual gift.
A good person keeps the Law of Moses and the Law of Lord Jesus. A good person keeps his daily rule diligently. A good person obeys his elders. A good person lives the life of grace, gospel virtue, and gospel wisdom. A good person always thinks, speaks, and practices goodness. A good person loves goodness and hates non-goodness.
Let go of food, possessions (including knowledge), glory, and romance. Let go and be free! Let go and your suffering will end!
Practice your rule with simplicity of heart. Do not justify yourself before the Lord. Do not pose the wise man before your neighbor. (See Wisdom of Sirach 7:5).
Always rank yourself below your neighbor. This leads to peace, simplicity, and love.
Our neighbor is Lord Jesus. Do you speak harshly to Lord Jesus? Do you exalt yourself over Lord Jesus? Do you do injustice to Lord Jesus? Do you judge Lord Jesus? Do you hate Lord Jesus? Instead, you must rank yourself below Lord Jesus. You must be meek to Lord Jesus. You must show mercy to Lord Jesus. You must love Lord Jesus.
Seek first the kingdom of God in your daily life. (See Matt. 6:33). You must become a vessel of God, filled with grace, virtue, knowledge, and spiritual gifts.
Let go of food, possessions (including knowledge), glory, and romance, and you will love God and your neighbor.
There are three types of sons and daughters of the dragon: the carnals, the psychicals, and the naturals. These three do not partake of the Holy Spirit and do not bear the fruit of gospel virtue and gospel wisdom. (See Matt. 13:38).
The pagans believe that Nature is almighty. They believe that the forces of Nature are supreme. Orthodox Christians though believe that Lord Jesus is Almighty God in the flesh. They believe that Lord Jesus is supreme. (See Matt. 28:18).
The proud seek to dominate others, but the humble respect the freedom and self-determination of others.
The humble rank themselves below all other persons. The humble radiate humility, simplicity, mercy, and love.
The humble are wise, true, useful and pleasant. The proud are a torment to themselves and others.
The humble are wise and good, just like God. The proud are ignorant and evil, just like the dragon.
The humble live the life of light. The proud live the life of darkness.
