I have often struggled with doubt, not only doubting God’s existence but also the truth that He loves me. The idea that we must step beyond the limits of our personal psychology has resonance with me, for it is my experience with my fellow humans that has given me these issues and by reaching beyond myself to the Lord He can strengthen my trust. Thank you for your videos father...they are informative and faith strengthening. I love the ringing of the church bells at the end, very meditative and powerful. What recording are they from?
We all have doubts, particularly while pursuing to know God, we stumble in our weak state of humanity. Where we can sense the world around us, and the world is real, albeit, tangible & palpable. But the deeper we pursue to KNOW our Lord, Savior Jesus Christ in friendship of the true meaning surrounding what He willfully did for us & desires for us, we unveil smthg that has less doubts. What I mean is, the more I have walked with Christ, through scripture & seeking questions & within daily prayer, I see the divinity within myself, and within my brothers amd sisters, and even my enemies. To imitate Christ, we begin to see what He saw, and what He continues to see, and what the Fsther desires. Everything else simply becomes fleeting in life All pleasures and vanity is fleeting. All beauty in life IS fleeting But Gods loving touch upon all things IS INVISIBLE, YET ETERNAL. God is invisible, and we became the visible expression of God. Christ became the TRUE visible expression of God, the invisible, so we may know, "love one another as I have loved you. & if you have done unto the least of your brethren, know it is Me you have done unto." Therefore, God is everywhere! Get to know God, and you'll be transformed in time through doubts and discipline & OBEDIENCE, to see God everywhere GOD IS ALIVE, HE'S ALIVE! AMEN & ALLELUIA!!!
Hello! Father I am really blessed to find this kind of great teaching I'm Ethiopian orthodox Christian I really want to buy your books I ordered last time one but still I didn't get it. is there a way I can order again? thank you so much I'm really happy I watch your videos at least 5 times a day and I share with my high school friends.
0:05 there are Many kinds of doubt • Paranoid Can be destructive The Story of St. Thomas the doubter • Doubts don’t diminish us 1:07 Doubts come in many forms • The Disciples hid and were terrified 1:37 He wanted it restored, through his encounter with Christ 1:50 “Touch my Wounds.” 2:17 We can all touch the wounds today. Signs of Crucifixion in the Middle East 2:39 Blessed are those who believe and have not seen. Doubt gives us an opportunity to step out in faith. 3:06 Give ourselves to Faith. 3:20 Choose to believe, overcome our doubt, we will be blessed. A spiritual reward for Trust in God. 3:35 3:55 We do not injure him, rather we deprive ourselves of his friendship.
Great stuff father! I have a question. What bible should I use? Of course, Scripture is best used in context of divine liturgy. But what would be a good English speakers bible?
+Dakota Neuman Hello Dakota, the Protestant translations are at fault in numerous ways. For example the RSV and NIV removed a number of phrases that point to the Divinity of Christ. Most translations after the Reformation are also falsely based on the Hebrew O.T. which was produced around AD 100 by Jews removing prophecies about Christ and the Theotokos. In fact the Septuagint predates this version and retains all the material: it is the version quoted by the Apostles and the early Church Fathers. The closest translation (other than what is called the Orthodox Bible) is the King James version. I realise some of the language feels a little archaic but it is worth putting up with. Of course, beter still you want one which inclues all of the books that the Jews and Protestants removed. Liberal atheist scholars did their worst on many of these modern translations and though it may sound like I'm putting it too strongly I think they are dangerous for people's faith. Hope that is of some use, forgive me if I'm just repeaing what is common knowledge.
Yes, the KJV is fine. I've always used it, but the deuterocanonical is usually missing, and if it is there--they call it Apocrypha. Hidden by whom Jews and Protestants? The Douay Rheimes does not have that problem, but then sometimes has even more archaic language. The King James is better in that rearguard. But I can not find a whole Orthodox Bible in English with an authoritative sounding reading to it. Or really any whole Orthodox Bible for that matter.
+Dakota Neuman Try "The Orthodox Study Bible" - Thomas Nelson. In the Uk it's about twenty five pounds but if you live in a different country you may get it cheaper. This is the one I always recommend to people.
Doubt is what devides. Grace is the cure. The virgin mother of Jesus Christ was onto that from the start before her husband was. That is why Theotokos was after his death carried upwards to her destiny in that will of hers to accept grace in its fullness.
"The Lord has become everything for you now you must become everything for the Lord." Can anyone please explain what this qoute from St John Of Kronstadt means ? I dont understand. Thank you
My take is from my personal experience. God has become everything for me. I need Him every day, and too often I forget all He's done and still does for me. Therefore, I want to serve the Lord with all my heart, though I fail every day. Any corrections regarding my interpretation are welcome. God bless.
Doubting god or the creator (whatever your choice that you go with) is dumb. If you're an atheist you actually believe all this happened by accident and the singularity magically appeared out of nowhere. You put your faith in a magic trick
I find myself doubting most powerfully when confronted with acts of sheer brutality in the animal kingdom. I am perfectly aware of all the rational justifications for such violence, but it is nonetheless disturbing, and makes one wonder why a creator God made a world in which there is so much animal suffering. To be able to sustain life only by hunting, killing and eating other sentient creatures seems appalling to me. Does the story of the Fall make some sense out of this ? Partly, I think, where human suffering is concerned, but as far as the rest of nature goes, no. Yesterday, for example, I saw a small caterpillar being chased and repeatedly stung by ants. Who knows why ? Maybe it had stumbled on to their nest, and the ants were there to protect it. Point is, to me, it didn't really matter why : it simply served as an example of the very real chasm that exists between the awful reality of created nature and the idea of a loving God.
