Knowledge is the information that we acquire to use something or to do something. It's practical and functional. Wisdom is the ability to use that knowledge at the right time in the right way.
Breaking Down Strongholds (2 Cor. 10: 1-6)
In our present world there are many things that are designed by the kingdom of darkness that is coming against our church and us. We often think that we don’t have the power to overcome it or to fight it. We even think that God is weak and the evil one is strong. Such a thought is understandable, in the human-sense, considering the present state of our world. But as Orthodox Christians, we must believe, wholeheartedly, that God is greater and more powerful than anything in the world.
Be Sober Minded (1 Thess. 5: 1-11)
In this hyper-fast world that we live in it’s hard to take a step back, to be calm, to be patient, to take time to think about what we want to do and how we want to do it. It’s hard because everything goes so quickly that we don’t have time to think. So, we become frustrated, weary, worried, anxious and even depressed. Is there a way for us to slow-down and see life as it should be, peaceful, joyful and calm?
Standing Strong (Eph. 6: 10-17)
As a teacher, ever since my first year, even until now, I have always preferred to stand-up and teach. I don’t even prefer to sit down for small group instruction, or even for my lunch. Not every teacher is like that and I am not saying that I am doing anything better than other teachers. It’s just my way of working because it helps me to focus and not get lazy. This is even the case at parish. I don’t like sitting down during coffee hour--for the most part. Rather, I prefer to walk around and talk to everyone. In a way, it’s good that I am Orthodox because we always have to stand for the majority of the time for liturgical services.
Seeing God in Everything (Philippians 4: 8-13)
It’s hard to imagine that in every situation in life, God is there. Seeing God in everything seems like a good catch phrase or a good quote on a coffee mug; and we are far from that reality when we face extreme challenges in life. We may be Orthodox Christian, prayerful, diligent in fasting, regularly attending Qurbana, and having a good relationship with God, but when life doesn’t go the way that we expected, it’s hard to see God in it. We might not be experiencing anything dramatic in life at present. In fact, we might be enjoying life right now. That is, having good moments with our family, enjoying our career, and being happy about our established life-style. Some of us are experiencing moments in life where it is not too dramatic, not too physically or emotionally exhausting, but at the same time there is worry, a concern that that persists. On the other hand, we might not be experiencing anything at all - just life in general - job, work, family, nothing extraordinary. Whatever our situation may be, or whatever we are experiencing--God is there. Even if we don’t see Him, he is there. From the greatest of trials to the daily mundane experiences, God is there. St. Paul talks about this in his epistle today.