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Mark 9:38-40

"And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part."

 

A New Catechumen

Congrats to my daughter April, who became a catechumen in the Orthodox Church today. April, and her husband Greg, faithfully serve the Lord and teach their children to do the same. Greg is a Sergeant and a Mission Chief in the United States Air Force. April completed her nursing degree and is expecting their third child in May.

GOD GRANT THEM MANY YEARS!

Prayer of Saint Ephraim

O Lord and Master of my life,
Grant not unto me a spirit of idleness,
of discouragement,
of lust for power,
and of vain speaking.

But bestow upon me, Thy servant,
the spirit of chastity,
of meekness,
of patience,
and of love.

Yea, O Lord and King,
grant that I may perceive
my own transgressions,
and judge not my brother,
for blessed art Thou
unto ages of ages.
Amen.

I Hate Judgmental People

The Tyrant Is Dead- Is It Time Yet?

Philip Saliba, the heavy handed, multimillionaire, tyrannical leader of the Antiochian Orthodox Church in America is dead.

'It is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment .'

On a trip to California not long ago, I happened to stay in a hotel right next to where the Antiochian Diocese of California was meeting. There were men in black everywhere. I had the opportunity to talk with a few priests. One, in particular, had recognized me from my blog. It was the first time I realized the reach of the JTO blog. This priest was aware of my prior posts concerning his Metropolitan Philip Saliba--Issues of secrecy, greed, papist attitudes, heresy, apostasy, and the like. I was astonished to find that this priest needed no convincing as to the character of His Metropolitan nor of the drifting into apostasy of the Antioch Diocese and all of World Orthodoxy. The priest, in hushed tones, told me, "We know. We know all of these things. It is just not time yet." He was referencing a time when he and others would leave to find a faithful bishop or stay and stand up in mass dissent like the saints of old, caring more about the cause of Christ than the security of their position.

To the Antiochian priest and to all those in the Antiochian diocese: The tyrant is dead. Is it time yet?

WATCH: There will be a great struggle for power as some Arab factions will go to desperate means to keep control of the Antiochian diocese in foreign, in particular, Arab hands. Council will fight council. Those near Saliba, his associates, are already making efforts to hide records and evidence of Saliba's personal fortune, and other records that others had previously demanded to see. The associates will only be partially successful. Several smoking guns will be revealed. The revelation of certain documents will be the catalyst for a revival of spirit in the American Church and a weaning from foreign control. Priests will leave- Priests will stay- but turmoil will be the word within the Antiochian Diocese. What Saliba sowed in his life, the Diocese will now reap in his death. And those clergy who cared more about the security of their positions will now be shaken.

 http://journeytoorthodoxy.blogspot.com/2009/06/antioch-do-you-know-where-your-children.html
 http://journeytoorthodoxy.blogspot.com/2009/07/from-metropolitan-philip-nevermind.html
 http://journeytoorthodoxy.blogspot.com/2009/08/watered-down-orthodoxy.html
http://journeytoorthodoxy.blogspot.com/2009/06/why-we-leftwhere-we-went.html 
 http://journeytoorthodoxy.blogspot.com/2009/08/im-stokacus.html
http://journeytoorthodoxy.blogspot.com/2009/07/anonomous-priests.html
http://journeytoorthodoxy.blogspot.com/2009/05/bishops-say-no-to-antiochian-synod-and.html
http://journeytoorthodoxy.blogspot.com/2009/04/antiochians-and-all-other-parishoners.html
 http://journeytoorthodoxy.blogspot.com/2009/03/comment-from-antiochian-who-wears-black.html
http://journeytoorthodoxy.blogspot.com/2009/03/good-man.html

"Writers Are The Prophets Of This Generation"

"Writers are the prophets of this generation." These words were spoken to me by a friend who has spent his career in the literary and publishing world. At his words, my soul was pierced and a healing balm of God's Spirit was poured in.

Indeed, the prophets of our day use the art of writing to speak to the world at large and to specific individuals. It is true that writers are the prophets of this generation, but not all writers. Thus it is also true that prophets are the writers of this generation, but not all prophets. But for those prophets, with the gift, the calling, and the opportunity to communicate through writing, one stroke of a pen, one click of a button, one signing of a publishing contract and they are allowed, by the grace of God, and by their obedience, to speak to more people than the prophets of old did during their lifetime. But how do we know today the words that the prophets of old spoke? Their spoken words were written--the people read them--and still read them today. To him who has ears to hear, let him hear. To him who has eyes to see, let him see. The written word by the prophet hits its intended target audience.

Writers are the prophets of this generation. With the words of my friend, I found myself at the culmination of a long season of preparation. I am a writer. By God's grace, my prophetic platform goes beyond a blog. It extends to a larger platform. I am a screenwriter and a film producer.  I am inspired to write that which speaks to the individual, to the nation, to the world through feature films.  I write, then film what has been written-two mediums. A greater audience. 

"You will speak to the masses." These are the words spoken to me by my creator many years go. As I have moved through seasons of life, events, struggles, death of many visions, He has been present to show me, in the secret place of the most high, that place where prophets go to have their flesh annihilated and their will prepared to receive. My life is not my own--I am bought with a price--I speak the will of God in season and out--to those willing to hear and to those who might do me harm. "You will care what no man does to you", said my God.  So, now, this season has arrived and I have penned, clicked and signed- to speak the mind and will of God.

Rocky Top Pictures LLC is the structure from which I am writing and producing several feature films (dramatic films for theatrical release). A feature film that is the definitive film about abortion. A feature film based on the life of Saint Moses the Black. An 1800's period piece showing the spiritual evolution of an outlaw. A feature film about the enduring friendship of an autistic white boy born into wealth and privilege and a black boy from the other side of the tracks.  A feature film about a fallen priest who finds redemption defending a Native American tribe from oppressors. Now it seems, the God of all creativity, is saying to me "Go speak what has been written." And with that, He makes a way. He lights the path. He brings others to aide in the process. Even other prophets to add their words and works. 

Writers are the prophets of this generation. "And He Himself gave some to be prophets...For the Lord does nothing unless He reveals instructions to His servants the prophets."

Lord make me an instrument of your peace and write your words upon my heart.

Who Are You To Judge Another's Servant?

"Why do we usurp God's right to judge? ...It is for God alone to judge, to justify or to condemn. He knows the state of each one of us and our capacities, our deviations and our gifts, our constitution, and our preparedness ...according to the knowledge  that He alone has ...And how do you know what tears he has shed about it before God? You may well know about the sin, but you do not know about the repentance." [St. Dorotheos of Gaza- Discourse on Refusal to Judge our Neighbor. B#45 pp. 133,135]

Forgiveness Sunday 2014

Byzanfest 2014- My Pick For Best Film

Byzanfest 2014- Orthodox Filmakers- see the top 12. Below is my pick for Best Film.

My Tough, Coptic Friends

I call the Copts my friends here, because, for some, it is offensive to refer to the Copts as brothers. Why? Because some 1400-1500 years ago, there was an issue of semantics surrounding the nature of Christ. Is it a dual nature or a single nature? Well, the Copts (Egyptians) say they are NOT monophsites- that they believe in the two natures of Christ- FULLY GOD AND FULLY MAN. Some, however, insist on telling the Copts what they believe.... and the debate continues. All I know is that the Copts I have met love, I say LOVE, God and LOVE people. They are more loving and more Christian by their fruits than many of the "real" Orthodox Christians I have known. 

I have wept as I watched the Coptic Pope speak of forgiveness. I have been blessed by the respect the Coptic laymen have for the clergy, even those who are not Coptic. I am most humbled, however, by the commitment- even unto death- that the Copts show everyday, as they endure persecution, not only in America, but in their own Egypt. Their churches are being destroyed and their people massacered by the thousands. I do not miss an opportunity to tell a Coptic Christian that I am praying for them and their people.

Today, I met a hard working Coptic man as he served me at a Greek Restaurant. With his broken English and genuine smile, he told me that he had been in America only four years. "Are you an Orthodox Christian?", I asked. "Yes", he said with joy. To prove his faith, he revealed a tattoo on his neck, on his arm, and on his chest. A cross, the Theotokos and an Arabic word, which I assumed left no doubt as to whom he served and would serve his entire life. I thought at that moment that the Coptic people know more than most, the truth of the popular bumper sticker which says, "Orthodoxy, Christianity, Only Tougher". To the Copt, this truth is a life or death statement. "The Muslims", he said, "they are no good." It is the Muslims who are killing Christians by the thousands all across the world today, and I count my Coptic friend, among those whose faith and experience makes them tough-strong-mighty in the eyes of God. I am ashamed and humbled in their presence. And I am weak compared to them. So are many of us who confess the faith and have not experienced persecution such as they have. "By their fruit you shall know them."  By their fruit, may I not call them my brothers?

The Theater Of Heaven

Retire from the earth, and look to the theater that is in heaven. If men should praise you, then afterwards they will blame you, will envy you, will assail your character; or if they do not, yet their praise will not benefit you. It is not so with God. He delights in praising your virtuous deeds. Have you spoken well and obtained applause? What have you gained? If those who applauded you were benefited, changed their minds, became better men, and had desisted from their evil deeds, then you might indeed rejoice, not at the praises bestowed, but at the wonderful change for the better. But if they continue their praises and loud plaudits, but gain no good by what they applaud, you ought rather to grieve, for these things turn to their judgement and condemnation. 

Does no one honor you? You ought to rejoice at it. For God will not lay to your charge, among other things, that you have enjoyed honor... For he who is not honored in the present life, who is despised, and held in no consideration, but is insulted and scorned, gains this at least, if nothing else, that he does not have to answer for being honored by his fellow-servants. And on many other accounts he gains by it. He is brought down and humbled, nor if he would, can he be high-minded, if he takes the more heed to himself...

Let us not seek for honors, but evade them when they are offered; let us cast them from us, let us extinguish that desire... The human glory is empty, and an imitation of glory: it is not true glory. Only beauty which is natural, which is within, is lasting: that which is put on externally, when the threater breaks up, and the masks are taken off, each appears what he really is...

Let no man praise you, for it profits nothing; and if he blames you, it does not harm you... And herein we are made like God, that He needs no glory from men. (St. John Chrysostom, Homily II on Titus I)