God has a plan for your life. None of us are called to this life for no reason. Some of us are called to a family life or priestly life. What we need is to find God’s plan and live accordingly. It is not our will to live in this world but its God’s plan for us to live in this world. One effective way to observe what God has planned for your life is to see the skills that you have been blessed with such as singing, acting, preaching, caring others, nursing others, being a doctor, nurse, engineer, politicians, priests etc.
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Leadership Question #2: WILL THIS GET ME CLOSER?
I’m talking leadership again today and this week I want to share the 2nd MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION when it comes to be being a great leader.
Last week, I said that the #1 question is “what would a GREAT LEADER do?” Or what would a great PARENT do? Or what would a great FRIEND do? Or what would a great SERVANT OF GOD do? Whatever the context may be, find someone you consider to be “great” in that area and ask yourself “what would that person do in this situation?”
That was question #1.
Read MoreEVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON - Things Jesus Never Said Part 4
Week 4 of the Things Jesus Never Said series and this week we talked about one of the most common misquotes of Jesus that Christians say all the time - "EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON".
"What's wrong with that?" you ask. "Isn't that the right thing to say? Aren't we supposed to trust that God is in control of everything? It certainly seems like something that's probably in the Bible somewhere right?"
WRONG! Check out the video above and listen to my thoughts on why this statement is not only untrue, but also so dangerous when used in the wrong context.
God's Grace Fills the Void
A good friend and I once had a conversation about sin and temptation, and he said something to me that I will always find incredibly profound. He said, “If you deem yourself unworthy of God’s grace, then you are judging the just Judge.” That phrase hasn't left my mind ever since.
It's true. God sent His son to die on the cross so that we may all be able to live in paradise forever, so who am I to say that I am not worthy of this love? Yes, you do need to be humble and not act like you are more privileged, but at the same time, we need to understand that forgiveness and grace are GIFTS, and not RIGHTS. I feel many times people blame God because, in a terrible and twisted way, we feel entitled to His grace and love.
But we aren’t. We are gifted so greatly with His unconditional love.
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Happy Memorial Day
May God bless all those who have courageously served our country and given their lives for our freedom. And may we never forget to "render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor." (Romans 13:7)
And I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me
And I'd gladly stand up next to you
And defend her still today'
Cause there ain't no doubt
I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.
"God Bless the U.S.A" by Lee Greenwood
Doubt as an Element of Faith
Sometimes it’s easy to see our God only as someone who likes playing a game of hide and seek with the world. He hides, we seek; some find Him, others don’t. He hides in obscure places, that only those who are really determined can see Him. Otherwise, like a child, if you’ve been looking for long enough you eventually give up.
To a certain extent, this still remains true in my heart. God commanded us to seek Him, and promised those who do so with all their heart will find Him. But, unlike the child that remains still in a cupboard for 10 minutes hoping that the seeker won’t catch him- He longs for us. He tells us He is everywhere, within us and around us. He shows us He isn’t found or heard in noise and clutter, but in stillness and softness.
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How Did Jesus Make Decisions?
Decisions, decisions, decisions. Should I accept this job? Should I marry this person? Should I listen to that person’s advice? How do I know what to do?
If I had a dollar for every time I get asked that question, I’d be a rich man. Young and old, rich and poor, married and single, spiritual and non-spiritual people – all struggle with the same question: how do I know the “right” thing to do in the situation I’m in?
Read MoreWHEN YOU FORGIVE, YOU MUST FORGET - Things Jesus Never Said Part 3
Wait a minute...are you saying that I do NOT need to forget in order to forgive? That I can forgive someone even though I still feel hurt and pain?
Absolutely! Why? Because forgiving and forgetting are not the same thing!
Not only do I believe that you don't need to forget in order to forgive, I believe that in some cases, you CAN NOT forget no matter how hard you try! But that doesn't mean you can't forgive.
How? Check out Part 3 of Things Jesus Never Said and find out for yourself. If you struggle with forgiveness and resentment and anger, you MUST listen to this message.
A Foretaste of Heaven
I don't know about you, but if there's one thing I long for it's this: the biggest, fattest hug from God and for Him to look us deep in the eye and say "Well done – welcome home, my daughter (or son)!" I don’t know about you, but I can imagine myself crying oceans on that day.
Every time I think about it, it makes me feel kind of sad that we actually have to live life with all its hardships to get there, but I found myself thinking: Why not live heaven on earth?
I came across recently that says "God is not where heaven is, heaven is where God is."
And that made me think...
Read MoreI'll Never Give You More than You Can Handle - THINGS JESUS NEVER SAID Part 2
We hear it all the time, but is it actually true? Did Jesus ever actually say it? Isn't it in the Bible somewhere? Or did we just make it up?
Week 2 of Things Jesus Never Said and this week we talked about a phrase that hear (and probably say) all the time: GOD WILL NEVER GIVE YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN HANDLE.
In this message, we talk about why God does allow us to endure trials and what the purpose of those trials might be. More importantly, we talk also talk about what our response to them should be. Enjoy!
Love Does
After His resurrection, Christ asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” And every time he answers "yes," Christ says:
“feed my lambs”
“tend my sheep”
“feed my sheep”
Because love is more than words.
Love does.
Often we assume that love is implied. We assume other people are secure in their own worthiness and we assume that they know our love for them. So at times when we admonish another, we are left feeling confused as to why they would lash out and walk away.
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Our Vending Machine Who Art in Heaven
Today’s post is a recap of the first half of this past Sunday’s message – which unfortunately failed to record. To get the full message, read the post below and then follow it up by watching the second half here.
Wait a minute…are you serious…Jesus never said that? Are you sure? You’re saying God doesn’t want me to be happy? He doesn’t want me to be fulfilled? Why would He give me a desire and then refuse to fulfill it???
You may not realize it, but we live in a world that worships happiness. Yep, you heard me right. We worship happiness and we have given ourselves permission to pursue it at all costs
Read MoreFollow Me and I Will Give the Desires of Your Heart - THINGS JESUS NEVER SAID Part 1
This past Sunday may have been one of the most powerful and inspired messages I’ve ever preached. I honestly felt like it was God speaking and not me. It was a Spirit-led and Spirit-inspired message if I’ve ever had one, and that I think everyone NEEDS to hear it.
So the natural result of that was that the A/V system decided to go haywire during the talk and we were only able to capture the last 18 minutes of the message on video (sorry sorry sorry).
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On Christ’s Suffering and Death
The Lenten Season – which concluded last Sunday as we celebrated Christ’s resurrection from the dead – is usually seen as one of the most sacred times of the year for us Christians. This season is at the core of our dogma and our faith, and epitomizes the beautiful story of Christianity, establishing hope for the eternal joy and peace as opposed to the earthly pain and distress. Because of its literally life-changing nature, we are called to engage in more intense daily exercises during Lent, both physically and spiritually
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Why Did They Want to Kill Lazarus?
Has anyone tried to kill you recently? I certainly hope not.
As Fr. Anthony wrote about earlier this week, we in the Coptic Orthodox Church are now preparing to enter Holy Week. Believe it or not, it actually begins tomorrow with Lazarus Saturday. After that is Palm Sunday, then the events of Holy Week through Covenant Thursday, Good Friday, Bright Saturday, and what many church fathers call the ‘Feast of Feasts’, the Holy Resurrection
Read MoreHIGHLY QUESTIONABLE DECISIONS - Seasoning Life Part 7
Surprise! You thought that the Seasoning Life series was all done but we had a special BONUS message yesterday - courtesy of none other than my brother, Steve Messeh.
In this message, Steve talks not about the daily habits that can make us questionable, but instead about the big, fork-in-the-road type decisions that characterize so many of the great men and women of God who have gone before us. He shares three highly questionable decisions and the outcomes for those who made them.
Check out and get ready to be inspired!
"Ask Me Anything" Scope
It's time for another "Ask Me Anything" scope today at 12:30 pm on Periscope. This is your chance to ask whatever question you want and hear my thoughts on the subject.
What is the latest book you're reading? What are your goals for 2016? What's your favorite color? Were you cheering for Batman or Superman?
Any question you want. Nothing is off limits!
You can submit questions LIVE during the broadcast, or by tweeting me (@FrAnthony), or by leaving a comment on this post. Questions submitted via twitter and the comments section will be given priority, and I'll get to the live ones as time allows.
Go ahead and submit your question now and Join me for another LIVE 30 minute broadcast on Periscope today at 12:30 pm EST to discuss this post. Download the app and follow me at FrAnthony to join in the conversation.
Habit 5: SACRIFICE - Seasoning Life Part 6
We wrapped up our 6 week Seasoning Life journey yesterday and the final habit is more of a mindset to live by, not an action to practice. And that is SACRIFICE.
What does sacrifice mean and why is it a non-negotiable requirement for a follower of Jesus? Because it is the summary of everything Jesus came to do and therefore the only appropriate way we can respond is by doing the same. Check out the video to see what I mean.
And don't forget to keep on practicing the B-E-L-L-S habits:
B - Bless
E - Eat
L - Learn
L - Listen
S - Sacrifice
Two Questions from GOD’S NOT DEAD 2
I don’t know about you, but I LOVE the fact that we’re seeing so many movies about faith and Christianity these days. It seems like every month, there’s a new movie that not only entertains but also inspires. And I LOVE IT!!!
The latest Christian movie to hit the big screen is called GOD’S NOT DEAD 2 – which opened up at #4 on weekend box office charts (followed by another Christian movie, Miracles from Heaven, at #5).
On Monday night, the STSA church family rented out a theater and watched the movie together. And it was GREAT! Two thumbs up if you ask me! What I loved about it was that it really made you think – not think to try to figure out the plot line or “whodunit” – but think about much greater issues in life and society.
Today, I want to share two questions that I walked away with and give you a chance to ask any questions you might have as well – either via the comments section below or on my weekly Periscope at 12:30 pm EST
Read MoreHabit 4: LISTENING FOR GOD'S VOICE - Seasoning Life Part 5
We're down to our final two habits in Seasoning Life series- and series which talks about how to live "questionable" lives for Christ. Last week we talked about eating and drinking, and this week we're going to the other end of spectrum: LISTENING FOR GOD'S VOICE.
What does it mean to hear God's voice? Is that even possible? Or is it just something that people made up to convince others of they want? Is it possible for a "normal" person like me to actually hear God's voice?
I believe the answer is yes and this week our challenge is to dedicate 10-15 minutes, two times per week, to find out for yourself. Trust me, if it works, it'll be well worth the investment.