Sunday<\/p>\n
John 17 1-13 \u00a0– Christ’s prayer before his Passion<\/p>\n
Act 12:11\u00a0<\/sup>And when Peter had come to himself, he said, \u201cNow I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from<\/i> all the expectation of the Jewish people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n 12\u00a0<\/sup>So, when he had considered this,<\/i> he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. <\/span> 13\u00a0<\/sup>And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. <\/span> 14\u00a0<\/sup>When she recognized Peter\u2019s voice, because of her<\/i> gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. <\/span> 15\u00a0<\/sup>But they said to her, \u201cYou are beside yourself!\u201d Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, \u201cIt is his angel.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n 16\u00a0<\/sup>Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door<\/i> and saw him, they were astonished. <\/span> 17\u00a0<\/sup>But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, \u201cGo, tell these things to James and to the brethren.\u201d And he departed and went to another place.<\/span><\/p>\n 18\u00a0<\/sup>Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. <\/span> 19\u00a0<\/sup>But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they<\/i> should be put to death.<\/span><\/p>\n And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n Tuesday<\/p>\n 20\u00a0<\/sup>Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king\u2019s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king\u2019s country.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n 21\u00a0<\/sup>So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. <\/span> 22\u00a0<\/sup>And the people kept shouting, \u201cThe voice of a god and not of a man!\u201d <\/span> 23\u00a0<\/sup>Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.<\/span><\/p>\n 24\u00a0<\/sup>But the word of God grew and multiplied.<\/span><\/p>\n 25\u00a0<\/sup>And Barnabas and Saul returned from\u00a0Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their<\/i> ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMaterialism is a poor and lifeless substitute stemming from the lack of communion with God, a disease that characterizes the vast majority of today\u2019s civilizations and cultures. But the person whose heart is full of the remembrance of God transcends the needs for trinkets and earthly pleasures; his body is on earth but his mind is more concerned about regaining lost paradise.\u201d Wednesday<\/p>\n Acts 13: \u00a0Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. <\/span> 2\u00a0<\/sup>As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, \u201cNow separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.\u201d <\/span> 3\u00a0<\/sup>Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them<\/i> away.<\/span><\/p>\n 4\u00a0<\/sup>So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. <\/span> 5\u00a0<\/sup>And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their<\/i> assistant.<\/span><\/p>\n 6\u00a0<\/sup>Now when they had gone through the island[a<\/a>]<\/sup> to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was<\/i> Bar-Jesus, <\/span> 7\u00a0<\/sup>who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. <\/span> 8\u00a0<\/sup>But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. <\/span> 9\u00a0<\/sup>Then Saul, who also is called<\/i> Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him <\/span> 10\u00a0<\/sup>and said, \u201cO full of all deceit and all fraud, you<\/i> son of the devil, you<\/i> enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? <\/span> 11\u00a0<\/sup>And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is<\/i> upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. <\/span> 12\u00a0<\/sup>Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.<\/span><\/p>\n Thursday<\/p>\n Paul’s sermon:<\/p>\n 13\u00a0<\/sup>Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. <\/span> 14\u00a0<\/sup>But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. <\/span> 15\u00a0<\/sup>And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, \u201cMen and<\/i> brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n 16\u00a0<\/sup>Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his<\/i> hand said, \u201cMen of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: <\/span> 17\u00a0<\/sup>The God of this people Israel[b<\/a>]<\/sup> chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He brought them out of it. <\/span> 18\u00a0<\/sup>Now for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness. <\/span> 19\u00a0<\/sup>And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land to them by allotment.<\/span><\/p>\n 20\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cAfter that He gave them<\/i> judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. <\/span> 21\u00a0<\/sup>And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. <\/span> 22\u00a0<\/sup>And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, \u2018I have found David<\/span>[c<\/a>]<\/sup> the son<\/i> of Jesse, a man after My<\/span> own<\/i> heart,<\/span> who will do all My will.\u2019[d<\/a>]<\/sup> <\/span> 23\u00a0<\/sup>From this man\u2019s seed, according to the<\/i> promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior\u2014Jesus\u2014[e<\/a>]<\/sup> <\/span> 24\u00a0<\/sup>after John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. <\/span> 25\u00a0<\/sup>And as John was finishing his course, he said, \u2018Who do you think I am? I am not He.<\/i> But behold, there comes One after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n Friday<\/p>\n Paul’s sermon cont…<\/p>\n 26\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cMen and<\/i> brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent. <\/span> 27\u00a0<\/sup>For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them<\/i> in condemning Him.<\/i> <\/span> 28\u00a0<\/sup>And though they found no cause for death in Him,<\/i> they asked Pilate that He should be put to death. <\/span> 29\u00a0<\/sup>Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him<\/i> down from the tree and laid Him<\/i> in a tomb. <\/span> 30\u00a0<\/sup>But God raised Him from the dead. <\/span> 31\u00a0<\/sup>He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. <\/span> 32\u00a0<\/sup>And we declare to you glad tidings\u2014that promise which was made to the fathers. <\/span> 33\u00a0<\/sup>God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm:<\/span><\/p>\n \u2018You are My Son,<\/span><\/span> 34\u00a0<\/sup>And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus:<\/span><\/p>\n \u2018I will give you the sure mercies of David.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n 35\u00a0<\/sup>Therefore He also says in another Psalm:<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n \u2018You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n 36\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cFor David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; <\/span> 37\u00a0<\/sup>but He whom God raised up saw no corruption. <\/span> 38\u00a0<\/sup>Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; <\/span> 39\u00a0<\/sup>and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. <\/span> 40\u00a0<\/sup>Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you:<\/span><\/p>\n 41\u00a0<\/sup>\u2018Behold, you despisers,<\/span><\/span> Saturday<\/p>\n 42\u00a0<\/sup>So when the Jews went out of the synagogue,\u00a0the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. <\/span> 43\u00a0<\/sup>Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.<\/span><\/p>\n 44\u00a0<\/sup>On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. <\/span> 45\u00a0<\/sup>But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. <\/span> 46\u00a0<\/sup>Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, \u201cIt was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. <\/span> 47\u00a0<\/sup>For so the Lord has commanded us:<\/span><\/p>\n \u2018I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,<\/span><\/span> 48\u00a0<\/sup>Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.<\/span><\/p>\n 49\u00a0<\/sup>And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region. <\/span> 50\u00a0<\/sup>But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. <\/span> 51\u00a0<\/sup>But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium. <\/span> 52\u00a0<\/sup>And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sunday John 17 1-13 \u00a0– Christ’s prayer before his Passion The hour has come signifies Christ is Lord over time. \u201cHe voluntarily willed to ascend the Cross in the flesh\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-orthodox-daily-devotional","has_no_thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3450","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3450"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3450\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3453,"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3450\/revisions\/3453"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3450"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3450"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3450"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n(Archimandrite Athanasios)<\/p>\n
\nToday I have begotten You.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nMarvel and perish!<\/span><\/span>
\nFor I work a work in your days,<\/span><\/span>
\nA work which you will by no means believe,<\/span><\/span>
\nThough one were to declare it to you.\u2019<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
\nThat you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.\u2019<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n