The "Church of Christ"

My thanks to Church of Christ apologist Tom M. Roberts, for confirming, from omission, the validity of the original Church of Christ, which many today refer to as Eastern Orthodox. Orthodox is not a denomination. Orthodox is not a noun, it is an adjective meaning "right teaching" or "right glory." The word "orthodox" began to be used in the early Church to distinguish the church of Christ from heretical groups who questioned the divinity of Jesus. In other words it refers to where the true church of Christ, the "pillar and foundation of truth" is found.

In an effort to prove the sole validity of Alexander Campbell's movement, Mr. Roberts lists the origin of several groups. His omission of Eastern Orthodox is glaring and peculiar, especially since Eastern Orthodox Christians are the second largest group on the planet. Is it possible the Mr. Roberts suffers from the same narrow vision that Mr. Campbell did? Is it possible that they are cousins to Martin Luther who also, in an admirable effort to return to the purest from of the New Testament Church, ignored or didn't know of the existence of the Church in the East, and set out to reinvent what already existed?

Notice the incomplete premise on which Mr. Roberts bases his argument where he omits Eastern Orthodox:

"No church, Catholic or Protestant, can trace its historical lineage to New Testament times. The oldest denominations are too young in age to be a New Testament church. How far back can the roots of denominations be traced? Notice the following dates of origin:

Roman Catholic Church - Rome, 606 A.D., with Boniface III as pope.
Lutheran Church - 1520 A. D., Germany, with Martin Luther's writings as authority
Episcopalian - 1534, England, when Henry VIII broke with Roman Catholicism
Presbyterian -1536, Switzerland, led by John Calvin
Congregational -1550 A.D., England, by Robert Browne
Baptist - 1607, Holland, by John Smythe
Methodist - 1739, England, by John Wesley
Latter Day Saints (Mormons) - 1830, America, by Joseph Smith
Adventists - 1830, America, by William Miller
Christian Scientist - 1866, America, by Mary Baker Eddy
Jehovah's Witnesses - 1872, America, by Charles T. Russell"

Such a list is a valid way of pointing out that denominations have sprung from men's own devises, but the ignoring of Eastern Orthodoxy is birthed out of ignorance or dishonesty. I want to think the best of the aforementioned cousins, so in this case calling them ignorant is complementary. Mr. Roberts is correct, however, when he states that "No church, Catholic or Protestant, can trace its historical lineage to New Testament times." Catholics may argue the point, but the fact is the Roman Church separated itself from the Orthodox faith thus beginning a separate religion. Their doctrines and practices, which are removed from the original orthodox faith, attest to this. Protestants stem from Roman Catholicism.

Mr. Robert goes on to say that no group outside the Church of Christ, as defined by Campbell, can trace their roots to the origin of the Church. For the sake of all those who have been taught by these christened cousins, especially for my Church of Christ brethren, who are closer to the Orthodox faith than they know, here is a list of the of Bishops from just one of the churches in the East- Antioch, where "they were first called Christians." Scroll quickly if you want. It takes a lot of space to cover 2000 years of historically, verifiable tracing.

1 45-53 The Episcopacy of St. Peter, the Apostle, in Antioch.
2 53 The Episcopacy of Eudoius in Antioch.
3 68 The Episcopacy of St. Ignatius (d. 107) in Antioch.
4 100 The Episcopacy of Heros in Antioch.
5 127 The Episcopacy of Cornelius in Antioch.
6 151 The Episcopacy of Heros II in Antioch.
7 169 The Episcopacy of Theophilus (d. 181/182) in Antioch.
8 188 The Episcopacy of Maximianus (d. 190/191) in Antioch.
9 191-212 The Episcopacy of Serapion in Antioch.
10 212-218 The Episcopacy of Aslipiades in Antioch.
11 218-231 The Episcopacy of Philetus in Antioch.
12 232 The Episcopacy of Zebinus (a.k.a. Zenobius) in Antioch.
13 240 The Episcopacy of St. Babylas in Antioch.
14 253 The Episcopacy of Fabius in Antioch.
15 256 The Episcopacy of Demetrian in Antioch.
16 263 The Episcopacy of Amphilochius in Antioch.
17 267 The Episcopacy of Paul of Samosata in Antioch.
18 270 The Episcopacy of Dmonus in Antioch.
19 273 The Episcopacy of Timaeus in Antioch.
20 277 The Episcopacy of Cyril in Antioch.
21 299 The Episcopacy of Tyrannion in Antioch.
22 308 The Episcopacy of Vitalius in Antioch.
23 314 The Episcopacy of Philogonius in Antioch.
24 324 The Episcopacy of Paulinus in Antioch.
25 325 The Episcopacy of Eustathius in Antioch.
26 332 The Episcopacy of Paulinus in Antioch.
27 332 The Episcopacy of Eulalius (5 months) in Antioch.
28 333 The Episcopacy of Euphronius in Antioch.
29 334 The Episcopacy of Placentius in Antioch.
30 341 The Episcopacy of Stephanus in Antioch.
31 345 The Episcopacy of Leontius in Antioch.
32 350 The Episcopacy of Eudoxius in Antioch.
33 354 The Episcopacy of Meletius in Antioch.
34 354 The Episcopacy of Eudoxius in Antioch.
35 357 The Episcopacy of Annias (a.k.a. Ammianus) in Antioch.
36 360 The Episcopacy of Eudozius in Antioch.
37 370 The Episcopacy of Dorotheus in Antioch.
38 371 The Episcopacy of Paulinus in Antioch.
39 376 The Episcopacy of Vitalius in Antioch.
40 384 The Episcopacy of Flavian in Antioch.
41 404 The Episcopacy of Porphyrius in Antioch.
42 408 The Episcopacy of Alexander in Antioch.
43 418 The Episcopacy of Theodotus in Antioch.
44 427 The Episcopacy of John in Antioch.
45 443 The Episcopacy of Domnus II in Antioch.
46 450 The Episcopacy of Maximus in Antioch.
See elevated to dignity of a Patriarchate by the Council of Chalcedon in 451
47 459 The Patriarchate of Basil in Antioch.
48 459 The Patriarchate of Acacius in Antioch.
49 461 The Patriarchate of Martyrius in Antioch.
50 465 The Patriarchate of Peter the Fuller in Antioch.
51 466 The Patriarchate of Julian in Antioch.
52 474 The Patriarchate of Peter the Fuller in Antioch.
53 475 The Patriarchate of John II in Antioch.
54 490 The Patriarchate of Stephen II in Antioch.
55 493 The Patriarchate of Stephen III in Antioch.
56 495 The Patriarchate of Callandion in Antioch.
57 495 The Patriarchate of John Codonatus in Antioch.
58 497 The Patriarchate of Palladius in Antioch.
59 505 The Patriarchate of Flavian II in Antioch.
60 513 The Patriarchate of Severus in Antioch.
61 518 The Patriarchate of Paul II in Antioch.
62 521 The Patriarchate of Euphrasius in Antioch.
63 526 The Patriarchate of Ephraim in Antioch.
64 546 The Patriarchate of Domnus III in Antioch.
65 561 The Patriarchate of Anastasius the Sinaite in Antioch.
66 571 The Patriarchate of Gregory in Antioch.
67 594 The Patriarchate of Anastasius the Sinaite in Antioch.
68 599 The Patriarchate of Anastasius II in Antioch.
69 610 The Patriarchate of Gregory II, in Antioch.
70 620 The Patriarchate of Anastasius III in Antioch.
71 628 The Patriarchate of Macedonius in Antioch.
72 640 The Patriarchate of George in Antioch.
73 656 The Patriarchate of Macarius in Antioch.
74 681 The Patriarchate of Theophanes in Antioch.
75 687 The Patriarchate of Sebastian in Antioch.
76 690 The Patriarchate of George II in Antioch.
77 695 The Patriarchate of Alexander in Antioch.
78 742 The Patriarchate of Stephen IV in Antioch.
79 748 The Patriarchate of Theophylact in Antioch.
80 767 The Patriarchate of Theodore in Antioch.
81 797 The Patriarchate of John IV in Antioch.
82 810 The Patriarchate of Job in Antioch.
83 826 The Patriarchate of Nicholas in Antioch.
84 834 The Patriarchate of Simeon in Antioch.
85 840 The Patriarchate of Elias in Antioch.
86 852 The Patriarchate of Theodosius in Antioch.
87 860 The Patriarchate of Nicholas II in Antioch.
88 879 The Patriarchate of Michael in Antioch.
89 890 The Patriarchate of Zacharias in Antioch.
90 902 The Patriarchate of George III in Antioch.
91 917 The Patriarchate of Job II in Antioch.
92 939 The Patriarchate of Eustratius in Antioch.
93 960 The Patriarchate of Christopher in Antioch.
94 966 The Patriarchate of Theodorus II in Antioch.
95 977 The Patriarchate of Agapius in Antioch.
96 995 The Patriarchate of John IV in Antioch.
97 1000 The Patriarchate of Nicholas III in Antioch.
98 1003 The Patriarchate of Elias II in Antioch.
99 1010 The Patriarchate of George Lascaris in Antioch.
100 1015 The Patriarchate of Macarius the Virtuous in Antioch.
101 1023 The Patriarchate of Eleutherius in Antioch.
102 1028 The Patriarchate of Peter III in Antioch.
103 1051 The Patriarchate of John VI in Antioch.
104 1062 The Patriarchate of Aemilian in Antioch.
105 1075 The Patriarchate of Theodosius II in Antioch.
106 1084 The Patriarchate of Nicephorus in Antioch.
107 1090 The Patriarchate of John VII in Antioch.
108 1155 The Patriarchate of John IX in Antioch.
109 1159 The Patriarchate of Euthymius in Antioch.
110 1164 The Patriarchate of Macarius in Antioch.
111 1166 The Patriarchate of Athanasius in Antioch.
112 1180 The Patriarchate of Theodosius III in Antioch.
113 1182 The Patriarchate of Elias III in Antioch.
114 1184 The Patriarchate of Christopher II in Antioch.
115 1185 The Patriarchate of Theodore IV (Balsamon) in exile in Constantinople.
116 1199 The Patriarchate of Joachim in exile in Constantinople.
117 1219 The Patriarchate of Dorotheus in exile in Constantinople.
118 1245 The Patriarchate of Simeon II in exile in Constantinople.
119 1268 The Patriarchate of Euthymius II in exile in Constantinople.
120 1269 The Patriarchate of Theodosius IV in Antioch.
121 1276 The Patriarchate of Theodosius V in Antioch.
122 1285 The Patriarchate of Arsenius in Antioch.
123 1293 The Patriarchate of Dionysius in Antioch.
124 1308 The Patriarchate of Mark in Antioch.
Patriarchal See transferred to Damascus in 1342
125 1342 The Patriarchate of Ignatius II in Damascus.
127 1386 The Patriarchate of Pachomius in Damascus.
128 1393 The Patriarchate of Nilus in Damascus.
129 1401 The Patriarchate of Michael III in Damascus.
130 1410 The Patriarchate of Pachomius II in Damascus.
131 1411 The Patriarchate of Joachim II in Damascus.
132 1426 The Patriarchate of Mark III in Damascus.
133 1436 The Patriarchate of Dorotheus II in Damascus.
134 1454 The Patriarchate of Michael IV in Damascus.
135 1476 The Patriarchate of Mark IV in Damascus.
136 1476 The Patriarchate of Joachim III in Damascus.
137 1483 The Patriarchate of Gregory III in Damascus.
139 1497-1523 The Patriarchate of Dorotheus III in Damascus.
140 1523-1541 The Patriarchate of Michael V in Damascus.
141 1541-1543 The Patriarchate of Dorotheus IV in Damascus.
142 1543-1576 The Patriarchate of Joachim IV (Ibn Juma) in Damascus.
143 1577-1581 The Patriarchate of Michael VI (Sabbagh) in Damascus.
144 1581-1592 The Patriarchate of Joachim V in Damascus.
145 1593-1604 The Patriarchate of Joachim VI in Damascus.
146 1604-1611 The Patriarchate of Dorotheus V in Damascus.
147 1611-1619 The Patriarchate of Athanasius III (Dabbas) in Damascus.
148 1619-1631 The Patriarchate of Ignatius III (Attiyah) in Damascus.
149 1635-1636 The Patriarchate of Euthymius III in Damascus.
150 1636-1648 The Patriarchate of Euthymius IV in Damascus.
151 1648-1672 The Patriarchate of Michael III (Zaim) in Damascus.
152 1674-1684 The Patriarchate of Neophytos I in Damascus.
153 1686-1694 The Patriarchate of Athanasius IV (Dabbas) in Damascus.
154 1694-1720 The Patriarchate of Cyril III (Zaim) in Damascus.
155 1720-1724 The Patriarchate of Athanasius IV (Dabbas) in Damascus.
Separation of the Melkites. The Greek Patriarchs
156 1724-1766 The Patriarchate of Sylvester I in Damascus.
157 1766-1767 The Patriarchate of Philemon I in Damascus.
158 1767-1791 The Patriarchate of Daniel I in Damascus.
159 1792-1813 The Patriarchate of Euthymius I in Damascus.
160 1813-1823 The Patriarchate of Seraphim I in Damascus.
161 1843-1859 The Patriarchate of Methodius I in Damascus.
162 1850-1885 The Patriarchate of Hierotheos I in Damascus.
163 1885-1891 The Patriarchate of Gerasimos I in Damascus.
164 1892-1898 The Patriarchate of Spyridon I in Damascus.
Restoration of the Arab Patriarchs
165 1899-1906 The Patriarchate of Meletius II (Doumani) in Damascus.
166 1906-1928 The Patriarchate of Gregory IV(Haddad) in Damascus.
167 1928-1958 The Patriarchate of Alexander III (Tahan) in Damascus.
168 1958-1970 The Patriarchate of Theodosius VI (Abourjaily) in Damascus.
169 1970-1979 The Patriarchate of Elias IV (Muawad) in Damascus.

170 1979- The Patriarchate of Ignatius IV (Hazim, 1921- ) in Damascus.

And below is His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. First among Bishops of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
Alexander Campbell
1788-1866

Now, does the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch, with his clothing and long white beard, look all that much different from Alexander Campbell? Holy Trinity has blessed what Alexander Campbell birthed- millions leaving the mire of denominationalism and journeying back to the original New Testament Church. He just didn't go back far enough. You can. Come all the way home to the One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, the faith of our fathers, the Apostolic Faith, the Orthodox faith- The Eastern Orthodox Church.

To Creed Or Not To Creed....

To all of my anti-creedal brethren:

"No Creed But Christ"

Is A Creed

It's Great To Be A Christian!

The joy and celebration of the resurrection of our Lord is evident in the faces of those present at Pasca. Father Gordon Walker, priest emeritus of Saint Ignatius Antiochian Orthodox church, proclaims, "Christ is risen!", as he symbolically carries the light of the world into the midst of the people. The people respond,"He is risen indeed!" This electrifying moment in the life of the Church follows 40 plus days of fasting and lamenting our sins. This celebration starts at midnight and is followed by a feast where food and libations abound.We all go home about 4 AM, sleep as long as we want, then return for another feast about 4 pm. Its great to be a Christian! Who said Christians don't have any fun?

To All Generations

Teach them the way to go and when they grow old they will not depart from it.



Thanks to Dan Rudder of St. Seraphim Orthodox Cathedral in Dallas, Texas, for this video.

Announcing A Motion Picture

I want my Journey To Orthodoxy readers to be the first to know that my Film and Television Production Company has optioned the book, The Woodland Hills Tragedy, by S. Rickly Christian. Over ten years ago I was perusing the used book section of a second hand store and discovered this out of print book. Several false starts, a move, a reincorporation of my company, a lot of prayer, a whole lot of patience, and the contracts have been signed.

Kingdom Films Inc. will produce the book into a feature film with a goal of theatrical release. The riveting true story of the discovery of 16,433 aborted fetuses in a rented trash container in Woodland Hills, CA in he 80's, is seen through the eyes of an investigative reporter (Rick Christian). Rick's real-life experience with this bizarre episode in the annals of the abortion debate unveils the abortion industry, Planned Parenthood and government involvement in an Erin Brokovitch manner. The story is void of religious dogma and is driven by fact-based social commentary. The working title of the film is Ausrotten-German for "exterminate."

"This is the journey of one man’s soul from detachment to involvement, from apathy to deep concern. On a larger scale, it is a reflection of what it means to live in a society that routinely destroys its own sons and daughters-not merely statistics, but flesh and blood people. In the end, Rick is faced with the unsettling discovery that the perpetrators of such evil and heinous acts do not always appear as monsters. More often than not, they look just like you and me."

I challenge all JTO readers to rise from detachment to involvement, from apathy to concern. Help Kingdom Films Inc. bring this project to the screen. Pray for me personally and for all KFI personnel who will be spending countless hours in pre-production, production and post- production, taking this film from development to distribution. As you might surmise, KFI won't be met with open arms in the film industry but neither was Icon Pictures and Mel Gibson. If I make no other film the rest of my life, this will be enough. It may be the sole reason God has graced me with being in this industry.

We will enter the script phase and the investment phase simultaneously. Pray that both are blessed. I intend to personally write the script, but am also considering a co-writer. Let all in the JTO family know of our needs.

Lord Jesus Christ Son of God Be Merciful To Me A Sinner.

Starting An Orthodox Church?

Well, actually the Church "started" about 2000 years ago. Being from a Protestant background, I recognize the phrase "starting a church" has certain connotations that don't really apply to the establishment of a local Orthodox parish. Usually when you hear "start a Church" you think of some well-meaning individuals or groups who have a heart for God and a heart for people and feel as if they have a better way of doing things. So, they infuse their personality and methods, decide which of their doctrines or practices they will emphasize, get a place to meet and start advertising. The thing that separates this method from the Orthodox Church is the fact that we have already been at the Church planting thing for over 2000 years and the local parishes we establish are not the work of an individual or independent group. We are not reinventing the wheel, we are providing the whole vehicle. There are over 250 million Orthodox around the world and we are made up of various cultures so be prepared to experience what the church is supposed to look like: Multi ethnically diverse.

If you are Native American you are welcome and may be interested to discover that some of the first converts to Orthodoxy on this continent were from your culture.

If you are Hispanic the door is wide opened to you, especially if the door to the Roman Church has been closed to you for some reason. Remember, the Pope recognizes the authenticity's of our Apostolic succession and the validity of our Eucharist. If there is a language barrier we will close that gap quickly. Maybe you or someone you know could help interpret. Remember the Orthodox faith is the faith and you are a very important part of it. The Orthodox faith is compassionate toward the issues involving illegal immigration and the families who are affected. In North America, there are more Orthodox immigrants than European converts.[Si usted es hispano la puerta es amplia abierto a usted, sobre todo si la puerta a la Iglesia romana le ha estado cerrada por la razón que sea. Recuerde, el Papa reconoce la autenticidad de nuestra sucesión Apostólica y la validez de nuestra Eucaristía. Si hay una barrera de los idiomas cerraremos aquel hueco rápidamente. Tal vez usted o alguien que usted conoce podrían ayudar a hacer de intérprete. Recuerde que la fe Ortodoxa es la fe y usted es una parte muy importante de ello. La fe Ortodoxa es compasiva hacia las cuestiones que implican immig ilegal.]

If you are African American you are invited to come home to the church of your ancestors. History show us that the continent of Africa was extremely important to the establishment of Christianity. In fact, many of the slaves who were brought to America were Orthodox Christians. Many Orthodox churches display icons of those Africans who have been made saints by the church such as St. Moses The Black. The Ancient Christianity and African American Conference is held annually as an effort to introduce African Americans to the Orthodox Faith. You are a vital part of the life of the church.

If you are European it was you who preserved the faith when the East was in such political turmoil and who originally brought the church to this continent. It is also out of the European culture that the Western Liturgy was birthed.

If you are Asian you will be interested to know that Asia had over 500 Orthodox Bishops by the year 901 and was instrumental in propagating the gospel in many other countries. The Asian Orthodox Churches are continuing to flourish today.

If you are a former Roman Catholic and for some reason cannot return to the RCC, we say "come home" to the Orthodox Faith. The RCC and the Orthodox Church were one body before 1054. The Western Rite Liturgy will be very familiar to you. The Eucharist is available to you even if you have been divorced. You may be interested to know that our Orthodox priests may marry, much value is put on the role of women, and although we highly respect the role of the Pope, the Orthodox Church is governed by consensus of bishops not by one man rule.

If you are Church of Christ know that of all the non-catholic denominations you are probably closer to the original church than any. Campbell has the right idea to go back to the original, early church. He just didn't go back far enough. Like Martin Luther he opted to establish what he thought to be the purest form of Christianity. Neither realized it was found and is found in the Eastern Church-the Orthodox Church. Come all the way home. You will find liberty and not legalism.

If you are a pagan your heart has cried out for meaning, ritual and design. You have come up empty in the ever changing evangelical world. You will identify with the Orthodox Celts and all cultures who have found their way to the original church. You will find the church to be the real container of mysticism that is valid and spiritual. You will see that Christ is really The Eternal Tao.

عرفت إن أنت تكون عربيّة ويكون يفكّر حول مسيحيّة, أنّ أسقفنا عربيّة [لبنس] والأبّنا في دمشق, سوريا. هم, مثل أنت, مرّة اضطرّ رأيت مسيح ك ال [مسّيه].

If you are a Charismatic or Pentecostal you will find the real meaning of the charisms are found within the Orthodox faith. Many of our saints are recognized through the miracles that resulted from their lives. The demonstrations of God's power over flesh is quiet and holy, not boisterous and showy.

If you are a human being come home to the One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. It is the shelter of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Creator of the universe and of all there is. He knows your name and every hair on your head is numbered.

"The Down Slope Home" Letters From A Soldier

Number five in a series of letters from SGT Daniel Nuoffer

Mr Lewis

I had some time to burn before I had to go back to work, and I was playing around on the Internet. I went to your web page and saw where you have another grandchild. Congratulations I am so happy for you and your family. You looked so happy in the pictures. I hope all is well and that you and your family are as happy as you seem.

I am on the down word slope home. I am about 3 weeks out from my fly date. We have been working nonstop to get this new unit ready to take over the duties and responsibility's of this mission. It has been a bumpy ride. I have had to put myself in harms was more then once to keep these guys from getting hurt. But they lack experience here. And that is enough to get you hurt. There is hope they are learning and it will come. I will keep praying for them and they will make it.

God bless you sir. I will keep you in my prayers and lift you up to the father.

Sgt Nuoffer

Note: Sgt Daniel Nuoffer is on his second tour in Iraq. His duty is to command the lead gunnery vehicle that guides our troops in convoy down treacherous roads from Kuwait into Bagdad. He will be gone for 15 months. His new wife awaits his safe return as do we all. Send him your love and support. You may e-mail him at chemicalninja@yahoo.com.

Tribute For Charlton Heston

[While I was formulating my own thoughts at the passing of Charlton Heston I received this e-mail. I couldn't say it any better:]

Dear Friends,

Perhaps many of you remember the late Charlton Heston as Moses from Cecil B DeMille's "The Ten Commandments" or even as Judah Ben Hur from the movie based on Lew Wallace's novel: "Ben Hur" or even as Rodrigo de Vivar in "El Cid" or even as John the Baptist in "The Greatest Story Ever Told". Personally, I have always remembered him as all of those roles and much more.

However, few people remember him as a man of upright morals and of upstanding Christian faith. Of the many celebrity actors in Hollywood, he was one of the few who has stood by his spouse for a good 64 years without ever going off the rails maritally or in any other way. Very few actors within the industry of Hollywood would have stayed as long in their marriages as he did. In fact, this has been his one and only marriage faithful to the end. In addition to this, Charlton Heston has stood very strongly against the sins of abortion and sodomite/homosexual behaviour and upset the apple cart of political correctness due to his strength of stance as a moral man.

In terms of his Christian faith, it is recounted that when he was scheduled to play "Moses" in Cecil B DeMille's "The Ten Commandments", the producer, Cecil B DeMille, had fallen from a four foot ladder and had injured his back. This would have halted the production of this movie, but instead, the next day Cecil B DeMille turned up at work well and gave every body on the cast and crew a copy of the New Testament. He then testified before everyone that Jesus Christ had healed him and could do wonderful things in their life. It is probable that he became a Christian from that period onwards. In addition to this, Charlton Heston many years later after retiring from the film industry, personally produced a 4 part documentary series defending the historicity of the Holy Scriptures called: "Charlton Heston Presents The Bible" on location in the Middle East. At the end of it all, he gave a challenge: "If you seek the Lord, you will surely find Him." Furthermore, he has been involved often when he was alive with the Christian Film and Television Commision.

Those who knew him personally always recalled him as this: "self controlled, gentle man" and also in the words of both Presidents George W Bush and the wife of late former President Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan respectively as: "man of character and integrity, with a big heart" and "I will never forget Chuck as a hero on the big screen in the roles he played, but more importantly I considered him a hero in life for the many times that he stepped up to support Ronnie [Ronald Reagan] in whatever he was doing".

In the words of our Orthodox Liturgy for the dead (Trisagion), we as Christians say this: "O God, most merciful and giver of life, may you forgive Charlton Heston of his sins, both voluntary and involuntary, and grant him peace." May God grant him a place in paradise and give comfort and rest to his family and loved ones.

Yours Sincerely,

Timothy Kwoh

Devotional Reading From Bill H. Lewis

Strength From God's Word
April 7, 2008

Who Orders for You?

The first prayer I utter each morning is “Lord, order my steps.” Actually I am saying, “Lord, you are in charge.”

How important is this for our daily walk? Some still have small children, while those of us who are older have already reared ours. While our children were young, we would sometimes go to a restaurant to eat. Never did we hand the menu to our children and depend on them to just “order what you want.” They would naturally order the pie, the cake, the ice cream, etc., and never order the things that were really good for them.

The prayer, “Lord, order my steps today” or “Lord, I really do not know what is best for me today. I will depend on you to order for me” is a “catch all” prayer. This prayer will include praise for all the good things that occur in our day, and also eliminate all the gripes about what we may feel are the bad things.

Sometimes the bad things may actually be the good things. For instance, have you ever griped when you overshot your exit and said, “Why did I do that stupid thing?” when God replies, “I caused it, because if I had not done that and you had gone on your usual way, you would have met up head on with an 18 wheeler.”

Let’s just praise the Lord. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.” (Psalm 37:23 NKJV) You don’t need to “watch your steps” if you have already turned them over to the Lord at the beginning of the day and continue to trust Him to guide you throughout the day. God promises to guide [watch] your steps when you give Him the opportunity and commit to follow Him.

-- Bill H. Lewis

Note: Bill H. Lewis is father to Journey To Orthodoxy's Nathan Lee Lewis. Reverend Lewis is a Southern Baptist Pastor living in Arkansas, USA.

Joy To The World!

Raeleigh was born weighing 8 pounds 14 ounces. She is Cynthia and my third grandchild. Her proud momma is the third of our five daughters. Our little papoose is all American. She is Apache, Spanish, Irish, German. There are few joys like this and few experiences surpass it. Do we have any idea of how much God loves us? God truly is love and we are His children.