Written by Greg Pantelidis BSc(Hons)
gregpantelidis@gmail.com
Goodness and wisdom will come to us if we have faith, humility, and obedience.
Resolve your disputes. Forgive. Think right. Speak right. Practice right.
Accept all the good you receive as given for your salvation. Accept all the suffering you receive as given for your salvation. Both good and suffering are given for our salvation.
Nothing else matters in life outside of completing our repentance. The completion of our repentance is the main goal of our life. A good death is a death in repentance. A good life is a life of repentance, gospel virtue, and gospel wisdom.
Have you reached the promised land? Have you received the grace of the Holy Spirit? The promised land is the grace of God. Heed the call of repentance in order to enter the promised land, the land of grace.
The two great weapons of the dragon are pride and lust. Let us guard ourselves from pride and lust. Let us reject pride and lust. Let us flee from pride and lust. God protect us from pride and lust!
When you have goods, think of those who have less. When you have suffering, think of those who have more. With the first you avoid envy. With the second you avoid impatience and ingratitude.
Do you want to remain a member of the secular church or do you want to become a member of the Orthodox Christian Church? The secular church overeats, steals and overpossesses, has vanity, lies and reviles and criticizes, is disobedient, and practices unchastity. The Orthodox Christian Church fasts, gives charity, has humility, speaks the truth and words of edification and words of encouragement, obeys, and practices chastity.
The life of gospel virtue and gospel wisdom is a voluntary one. No one practices gospel virtue and gospel wisdom against their will. Therefore the gospel life cannot be forced, it can only be preached or taught and then practiced by free choice.
If you cease from wrong thoughts and only think right thoughts you will be free, helpful to all, and blessed by God.
Practice self-denial and all your problems will be cured. Anger will cease. Sorrow will cease. Anxiety will cease. Envy will cease. Complaining will cease.
If you cling to your opinion and will you will be unhappy. Do the experiment today. Today practice self-denial, and curb your opinion and will. See how you will feel. You will feel the joy of freedom, right living, and peace.
The secular church is a monster that overeats, steals and overpossesses, has vanity, lies and reviles and criticizes, is disobedient, has envy, and practices unchastity. God protect us from the monster that is the secular church!
Do you want to live in a religious community or do you want to live in a secular community?
Each day we must resolve to keep gospel virtue. Each night we must resolve to keep gospel virtue. In the day reflect how you passed the night. In the night reflect how you passed the day. Every moment of day and night should be used to practice gospel virtue and gospel wisdom.
Seek the solution of your problems. Seek the solution and cure of your passions. Practice gospel virtue unceasingly.
We are here to serve not to rule. The rulers of the secular church are tyrants. The rulers of the Orthodox Christian Church are humble and meek.
Practice prayer and meditation always. Meditate about the events you encounter. Strive to see them all governed by divine providence. Meditate and contemplate your Creator in all things.
Let the creative force of God act in you through your diligence and constant practice. Constant practice is essential for an Orthodox Christian.
Practice constantly prayer, meditation, charity, and obedience.
The secular church practices symmetry: good for good, bad for bad, neutrality for neutrality. If the secular church is returning to you bad or neutrality see to it that you access your practice. Is the problem in you? Correct your practice and practice right always.
The rulers of the secular church are harsh. The rulers of the Orthodox Christian Church are gentle. The rulers of the secular church are proud. The rulers of the Orthodox Christian Church are humble.
Endure the suffering sent to you by the Lord. It is sent to you for your salvation. Thank God for your suffering, and hope and trust in God.
Consider the rulers of the secular church. Consider the rulers of families. Consider the rulers of workplaces. Consider the rulers of the various social groups. Observe the harshness of these rulers. Observe the pride of these rulers. Observe the suffering these rulers inflict. Now observe the Orthodox Christian rulers. The Orthodox Christian rulers of families. The Orthodox Christian rulers of workplaces. The Orthodox Christian rulers of social groups. All these rulers are gentle and lenient and merciful. All these rulers are meek and humble. All these rulers encourage, help, and edify. Do you see the difference between secular church rulers and Orthodox Christian rulers?
The rulers of the secular church are monsters. Monsters of pride, wrath, non-mercy, envy, and hatred. God protect us from the rulers of the secular church!
The solution to all our problems is self-denial, obedience, humility, and charity. When we practice these four all conflict comes to an end, our enemies become our friends, and we become useful to God and neighbor.
Return to God through repentance. (Mal. 3:7): “Return to me and I will return to you.” (Amos 5:4): “Seek Me, and you will live.”
The secular church practices natural justice: good for good, bad for bad, neutrality for neutrality. The Orthodox Christian Church practices spiritual justice: good for good, forgiveness and good for bad, good for neutrality.
Use all the moments of today in meditation, prayer, guarding of the mind and heart, and work. Waste no moment of today in idleness and sin.
Spiritual justice means returning good for evil. Forgiveness for injustice. Love for envy and hatred. Blessing for cursing. Good for enmity and hatred. Prayer for misuse and persecution. Love for enemies. (See Matt. 5:44).
If a person does not want to be a member of the Orthodox Christian Church we must respect their choice. Of their free choice they want to remain a member of the secular church. Keep away of such persons. They do not wish to return to God.
The secular church chooses self-love to love of God and love of neighbor. The secular church chooses sin to virtue. The secular church chooses unrepentance to repentance. The secular church chooses darkness to light. The secular church chooses eternal death to eternal life.
The members of the secular church have pride, wrath, non-mercy, envy and hatred. The members of the Orthodox Christian Church have humility, meekness, mercy, rejoicing with others, and love.
Practice right thoughts, right feelings, right words, and right practices. Reject wrong thoughts, wrong feelings, wrong words, and wrong practices. Repent and confess your wrong thoughts, wrong feelings, wrong words, and wrong practices.
Love is a fruit of the Spirit. (See Gal. 5:22). Faith is a fruit of the Spirit. (See Gal. 5:22). Q. What allows these fruits to appear? A. Humility and obedience.
Why are you wasting your time envying the virtuous? If you turn to God the fruit of virtue will appear in you also. Turn to God in humility and obedience!
We are here to bear the fruit of virtue. We are not here to gather food, possessions (including knowledge), glory, and romance. Bear the fruit of the Spirit brethren! Bear the fruit of virtue, wisdom, and spiritual gifts!
(Joel 2:12): “Turn to Me with all your heart.” Turn to God with all your heart and you will bear the fruit of all virtue, all wisdom, and all spiritual gifts. (See Gal. 5:22).
Do not listen to the wrong thoughts of the dragon. Think only right thoughts. Do not accept the wrong feelings of the dragon. Have only right feelings. Do not speak wrong words. Speak only right words. Do not practice wrong practices. Practice only right practices.
Turn to right thoughts. Turn away from wrong thoughts. Turn to God. Turn away from sin.
When a person comes to you with a problem always comfort them, encourage them, help them, refresh them, ignite their faith and hope in Lord Jesus. Remember that Lord Jesus can solve all problems.
If you want to increase in virtue, wisdom, and spiritual gifts then give place to the Holy Spirit. All these are gifts of the Holy Spirit. Whoever understands this is never proud and ungrateful, nor envious of others.
When you do good to someone only accept a thank you. Praise, glory, and honor for the good belong to God. (See Matt. 5:16). This way is the way of the humble, the way of freedom from vanity, pride, exaltation, and boasting.
A teacher of the right should never be harsh with wrong-practicers. Teaching the right is a teaching of mercy, leniency, patience, and love. Always emphasize right thought, right feeling, right word, and right practice.
Teach right living: fasting, charity, prayer, humility, truth speaking and speaking words of encouragement, obedience, chastity. Call persons to turn from wrong living: overeating, stealing and overpossessing, vanity, lying and reviling and criticizing, disobedience, unchastity.
Are you a practitioner of right living? Always practice right living. If you practice right living you can then teach right living. (See Matt. 5:19).
If you have a problem turn to the Messiah, Lord Jesus. The Messiah can solve all problems.
Cease speaking wrong words. Cease thinking wrong thoughts. Speak always right words. Think always right thoughts.
Who is the monster in your life who tyrannizes and tempts you? Who is the monster who is affecting your psychology and distorting your right living?
Reject thoughts of vanity. Reject thoughts of vanity of the body. Reject thoughts of vanity of the soul. Vanity of the body is thoughts about the body. Vanity of the soul is thoughts about the virtue, knowledge, talent, or skill of the soul.
Do you choose to turn to God, or do you choose to turn to sin? The choice is yours: the fruits of the Holy Spirit or sin. No one can choose for another. Each chooses for himself.
The choice is yours: right living or wrong living. Each person chooses for himself. Choose life that you may have eternal life. Choose right living. Do not choose death, that is, wrong living. (See Deut. 30:19).
Turn away from wrong living. Turn to God and right living. The choice is yours, and yours alone. No one can choose for you.
Each person who chooses to turn to God has hope of salvation. The person who chooses to turn away from God towards sin will have nothing but guilt, sorrow, complaint, and discontent.
Practice the middle way of virtue. Not the upper or lower ways of vice. Reject hypervirtue or upper vice. Reject hypovirtue or lower vice.
Practice the middle way of prudence. Not the upper way of cunning or the lower way of folly. Practice the middle way of self-restraint. Not the upper way of license or the lower way of insensitivity. Practice the middle way of justice. Not the upper way of greed or the lower way of deficiency. Practice the middle way of courage. Not the upper way of rashness or the lower way of cowardice.
We are just stewards of God’s knowledge, virtue, and spiritual gifts. No honor or glory belongs to us. All honor and glory belongs to God. To us belong gratitude, good stewardship, and non-glory.
Always remember that you are a steward of God’s goods and so do not be attached to food, possessions (including knowledge), glory, and romance.
Be a good steward of worldly goods: food, possessions (including knowledge), glory, and romance. Be a good steward of spiritual goods: spiritual knowledge, virtue, and spiritual gifts.
Be a good steward of all goods: material goods, and goods of grace.
Are you living as a steward of God or are you living as a steward of yourself?
Protect yourself from harm by seeking counsel in all things. (See Prov. 11:14).
Be guided by your elders in Christ and you will be protected from harm, and will be free, happy, and blessed.
The dragon blinds us by attachment to food, possessions (including knowledge), glory, and romance. Always remember eternity and your goal of achieving eternal life.
Do not blame others for your wrong thoughts, wrong feelings, wrong words, or wrong practices. Be self-responsible and blame yourself, repent and confess them, and then return to right living.
Always practice right living: right thoughts, right feelings, right words, right sights, right hearings, right practices. Practice right living and then teach right living.
Nothing is ours. Neither virtue nor wisdom nor spiritual gifts. God gives these to whomever He chooses. The humble and grateful and diligent are those who increase and retain these gifts of God. The proud and ungrateful and lazy lose their gifts of virtue, wisdom, and spiritual gifts.
(Is. 45:22): “Turn to Me and you will be saved, all people to the end of the earth. I am God and there is no other.”
The God of New Israel is the Trinitarian Lord, the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Glory to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit now and forever, and unto the ages of ages! Amen.
Are you humble and meek, merciful and loving? Or are you proud, wrathful, unmerciful, envious, and hating?
Be grateful for your economic or social standing. Remember that there are others who are in a worse economic standing, and a worse social standing.
Take full responsibility for your wrong thoughts, wrong feelings, wrong words, and wrong practices. The guilt for these is your full responsibility. Repent, confess, and never accept such wrong things again.
(Is. 55:7): “Let the impious person abandon his ways, and the lawless man his counsels and return to the Lord, and he will receive mercy, for the Lord shall in great measure forgive our sins.”
Have you wronged in thought, feeling, word, or practice? Then repent, confess, reconcile, and compensate. All these are necessary for correction of the wrong.
Life is about love of God and love of neighbor. It is not about increasing in food, possessions (including knowledge), glory, or romance. (See Matt. 22:37-40).
Have all your faith in Lord Jesus. Have all your hope in Lord Jesus. Lord Jesus will help you. Lord Jesus will save you.
Practice gospel ethics always. The summary of gospel ethics is to help one another and love one another.
Use every moment of today to practice gospel ethics. Use every moment of today to help. Use very moment of today to love.
Repent today. Stop today your unethical living. Stop today your overeating, your stealing and overpossessing, your vanity, your lying and reviling and criticizing, your disobedience, your unchastity, your enmity.
Repent and confess today. From today live an ethical life. Fast, give charity, pray, have humility, speak truth and bless and edify, be obedient, be chaste, be loving and forgiving.
Are you living an ethical life? The ethical life leads to salvation and eternal life. The unethical life leads to condemnation and eternal torment.
The world only understands natural justice: good for good, bad for bad, and neutrality for neutrality. The world does not understand spiritual justice: good for good, good for bad, good for neutrality. To the world good for bad and good for neutrality seem folly and injustice. Every teacher of spiritual justice is rejected by the world since the world does not seek to practice spiritual justice. Lord Jesus was rejected by the Jews because He taught spiritual justice. Similarly all followers of Lord Jesus who practice forgiveness and good for bad, and good for neutrality, are rejected and persecuted by the world. The poor world! Unable to practice spiritual justice!
Reject all unethical thoughts. Reject all unethical feelings. Abstain from all unethical words. Abstain from all unethical sights. Abstain from all unethical hearings. Abstain from all unethical practices.
Ethical Precepts (Dr. K. Vitkos):
Obey the Law.
Respect your parents.
Rule yourself.
Hold your anger.
Love friendship.
Seek wisdom.
Criticize no one.
Praise virtue.
Practice justice.
Exercise courtesy.
Abstain from malice.
Listen to all things.
Do not exaggerate.
Be a good user of time.
Hate reviling.
If you have, give.
Bless all.
Become a philosopher.
With knowledge practice.
Abstain from killing.
Associate with the wise.
Honor benefactions.
Envy no one.
Hate perversion.
Obtain with justice.
Honor the good.
Control your tongue.
Speak with meekness.
Be friendly with all.
If you sin, repent.
Be grateful.
Resolve enmities.
Accept old age.
Do not boast of your strength.
Become rich justly.
Do not dispute with the absent.
Respect the elder.
Die for your homeland.
Do not laugh at the dead.
Support the misfortunate.
Crown you forefathers.
Die without sorrow.
Abandon the unethical life. The unethical life brings nothing but guilt and sorrow. The ethical life brings peace and joy.
Where the secular church is, there is overeating, stealing and overpossessing, vanity, lying and reviling and criticizing, disobedience, and unchastity. Where the Orthodox Christian Church is, there is fasting, charity, prayer, humility, truth- speaking and blessing and edification, obedience, and chastity.
Whenever the dragon tempts you to sin, think of the judgment of Lord Jesus. When tempted to overeat, steal and overpossess, to be vain, to lie and revile and criticize, to disobey, to be unchaste, think of the judgment of Lord Jesus and you will avoid sin.
If you live the unethical life you will feel guilt and sorrow. If you live the ethical life you will feel happy, peaceful, and joyous.
Success for a spiritual person is not an abundance of food, possessions (including knowledge), glory, and romance. Success for a spiritual person is an abundance of grace, virtue, spiritual knowledge, good works, and spiritual gifts.
Repent of every wrong thought you accept. Repent of every wrong feeling you accept. Repent of every wrong word you speak. Repent of every wrong practice you practice.
Repent and confess every wrong thought, wrong feeling, wrong word, and wrong practice.
In every practice you practice pray: “Lord, help.” In every word of support you speak pray beforehand: “Lord, help.” Seek the help of the Lord in everything you think, say, and practice.
Beware of wrong thoughts. Beware of wrong thoughts about food. Beware of wrong thoughts about possessions (including knowledge). Beware of wrong thoughts about glory. Beware of wrong thoughts about romance. Beware of wrong thoughts about the body. Beware of wrong thoughts about the soul. Beware of wrong thoughts about holy things, that is, beware of blasphemous thoughts.
Study and practice ethical teachings. Study and practice dogmatic teachings. Study and practice Holy Tradition. Study and practice the Holy Sacraments. Study and practice mysticism. Study and practice spiritual gifts.
Have all three humilities. Rank yourself below all other persons. Ascribe you knowledge to God. Ascribe your virtue and achievements to God.
When you rank yourself below all, nothing perturbs you. Neither material loss, nor dishonor, nor bodily suffering.
Rank yourself below all and you will be free, happy, useful, and anger-free!
Rank yourself below all and you will love your Creator and all creation.
Rank yourself below all and you will be blessed and content.
Rank yourself below all, and life will become a continuous festival, a continuous peace, a continuous liturgy.
