When Leah, our daughter, turned 18, we were leading a YWAM team on an outreach and she was beginning a very long party that lasted for about 11 or 12 years. I'm getting old so these dates all kind of run together (ha!). Jackie and I prayed for her all the time to come back to Jesus. In the photos and video (if it worked), you can see the answers to those prayers. Last Sunday, September 30th, Leah was joined to the Orthodox church and Jacob and Elijah were baptized. It was all Leah's doings and choices that got her back. Prayers influence, God gives strength, but Leah made the choices to make the Lord Jesus her own again. Do you think we are very happy? Ecstatic might be a better word.
So, are you wondering about those guys in the robes and carrying crosses that baptized them? They are Fr Ted and Fr David, who have become our good friends. As I said, they are Orthodox. If you are wondering if that is some kind of Catholic, you can find out by going to www.oca.org. In a nutshell, this is how they sum themselves up:
It's Orthodox - But not Jewish
It's Catholic - but not Roman
It's Evangelical - but not Protestant
It's Scriptural - but not Fundamentalist
It's Predenominational - not Non-denominational
The dark-haired guy is an old friend of ours, Cameron Thorpe.
As part of the service, they honor saints of old. This week was Hieromartyr Gregory the Bishop of Greater Armenia. Wondering who he is? I'll tell you. His life is amazing:
In order to atone for the sin of his father, who had murdered the father of Tiridates, Gregory entered into the service of the latter and was a faithful servant to him. Tiridates loved Gregory like a friend, but he was intolerant of the Christian confession of faith. After ascending the Armenian throne, he began to demand that St
Gregory renounce the Christian Faith. The steadfastness of the saint embittered
Tiridates, and he gave his faithful
servant over to cruel tortures: they suspended the sufferer head downwards with a stone about his neck, for several days they choked him with a stinking smoke, they beat and ridiculed him, and forced him to walk in iron sandals inset with nails. At the time of these sufferings St Gregory sang Psalms. In prison the Lord healed all his wounds. When Gregory again stood before the emperor cheerful and unharmed, he was astonished ordering the torments repeated. St Gregory endured them, not wavering, with all his former determination and bearing. They then poured hot tin over him and threw him into a pit filled with vipers. The Lord, however, saved His chosen one: the snakes did him no harm. Some pious women fed him bread, secretly lowering it into the pit. A holy angel, appeared to the martyr, strengthening and encouraging him. St Gregory remained in the pit for fourteen years. During this time the emperor Tiridates executed the holy virgin St Rhipsime, the aged abbess Gaiana and another 35 virgins from a monastery in Asia Minor. As punishment for this horrible deed, the king's face became disfigured. St Gregory was released from the pit, and buried the relics of the holy virgins with honor. Then he began to preach to the people, urging them to turn away from the darkness of idolatry and toward Christ. The people came to believe in Christ, and wished to build a large church. When it was completed, St Gregory had the relics of the holy nuns brought into it. Then he brought King Tiridates before the bodies of the saints whom he had slain. He repented, and immediately his face was made whole. Soon all of Armenia was converted to Christ. The temples of the idols were destroyed, and churches for the worship of the true God were built. St Gregory ordained priests, established schools, founded monasteries, and provided for the good order of the Church. St Gregory went into the wilderness, where he departed to the Lord. His son Aristanes was made a bishop in Cappadocia, and was one of the 318 holy Fathers at the Council of Nicea. (That's where we got the "Nicene Creed.")Next time you are having a tough day, think about St Gregory. Our problems, however big, are never bigger than our Father in heaven. Like St Gregory, we too have His care. If it's His will, we will continue. If not, I guess we move on.... Regardless of your day, remember these words from 1 Thessalonians 5:
Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit.
The quickest way to ruin your day is to "quench" the Holy Spirit, or in other words:
whine all the time, don't pray, in everything gripe....
Us, on the beach...
Well, that's enough from us. How about a couple of prayer reminders?
Jackie: Starting round 2 with her heart and knee. Her first appointment is October 2nd and we'll have more info after that is over. Her heart is probably fine but there's been some weird feelings and blood pressure issues. Her knee needs help. She can still walk but that's with pain.
Bob: Hmm, how about work? I have a job but there hasn't been much work and I work on commission. Not a good combination. Pray for more work to come my way or perhaps if God might have another direction for me to be going in. I'd hate for my boss's business to sink like Jonah's boat was doing if I'm the problem. ha(?)
Friends: Penny, life-threatening cancer; Kenny, getting a new liver; Burt and Theresa, just pray for God's mercy and healing for them; Rich, hepatitis C and losing the liver he has; Toby, Parkinson's disease.
