“My Kingdom is not of this world ...” (Jn. 18:36). The “world is the general name for all the passions, when we wish to call the passions by a general name, we call them the world,” teaches St. Issac the Syrian. Thus, the Kingdom of our Lord is not OF this fallen order of sinfulness. …
Category: Orthodoxy
Who Is Mankind?
Central to the plan of the evil one is the destruction of the true understanding of who humanity essentially is. At current we are once again witnessing a nuanced but also a blatant assault on the nature of humanity. In this post, I will attempt to summarize the God-given revelation regarding the true nature of …
Where God is Not
Here is a little more of my translation from Russian of the works of St. Dimitry of Rostov. In this piece, he addresses how to abide with God and conversely how a person separates himself from God. The reader will note that St. Dimitry makes it very clear that where God is not allowed to …
With Faces Unveiled
Modern secular man has become materialized in his understanding. To a great degree, he no longer views the world and the events that transpire in it through the Spirit. Everything is mundane. Everything has a “scientific” answer. Experts rule and dictate base materialism. For the secular mind, there is nothing more than the material. And …
BREAKING NEWS: Local Christian Man Defies the Emperor’s Law and Smashes Statues of Deities
Thracian Times. Severius Mendax, reporting. Yesterday, on July 17th, 362, the Thracian town of Dorostolon was honored with a visit from representatives of our great Emperor Julian. The goal of the visit was to ensure the Emperor's civil orders that outlaw the troublesome Christian sect are being implemented. Dorostolon was initially found to be in …
Christians Must Be Crazy
“To get ahead one must have a crazy streak, in the good sense of the term. Depending on how you use this crazy streak, you can become either a saint or a hero. But if you are not helped and are led astray, you can also become a criminal. One who doesn't have a crazy …
It is Better to be Outside of Heaven with God than to be in Heaven without Him
The futile search for a “happiness” that is found only in the material world leads in the long run to unhappiness. Even at current the frenzied rush to purportedly “keep people safe and healthy” reveals the tragedy of fallen existence. All we have, all of humanity's “well-being” and “happiness” is found in that which is …
Continue reading It is Better to be Outside of Heaven with God than to be in Heaven without Him
The Conspiracy of the Nations
“Why do the nations rage, and the people meditate on vain things? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His anointed, saying, “Let us break their bands, and cast away their yoke from us” (Ps. 2:1-3). There is indeed a conspiracy, planned by the “nations,” …
Gracious Evil and Apostasy
“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith, prove your own selves” (2 Cor. 13:5). The Scriptures are replete with the call to self-examination. For the believer, this includes the examination of “whether ye be in the faith.” That is are we striving to hold fast to sound doctrine and teaching? St. Paul even gives …
Christianity and Socialism
A very pertinent teaching by St. Hilarion (Troitsky). He lived in the days of the rise of socialism and its taking of power in Russia under the form of Soviet Socialism. St. Hilarion ended his life as a martyr, tasting first hand the ruthless fruit of socialism against which he warned. The discerning reader will …
