And in the End…

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Armodoxy for Today: And in the End…

A week spent on the theme of the Second Coming of Christ, culminates today with this message, one which I only preface with the note that I needed to undo so much misconception and misunderstanding about the Second Coming of Christ be before I could share this with you. Indeed, today’s message was given to us by Jesus Christ but is often run over and/or forgotten because of the appeal that sensationalized and dramatized readings of the Book of Revelation or Old Testament mythology that accentuates end-of-world disaster.

If you’d listened to the last daily messages of the last four days – those dedicated to the Second Coming of Christ – then you are ready to hear truth about the end by Jesus Christ himself. This will only make sense if you have followed the Armodoxy manual of eschatology as presented over the last few days, so if you have not read or heard those messages please do so before proceeding.

This, then, is the description of the Second Coming according to Jesus Christ, offered to you here on this 40th day of Lent as a fitting culmination of our Lenten Journey as we engage in the life that is before us. And Jesus says,

“When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.  Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,  and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

In Space and Time

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Armodoxy for Today: In Space and Time

All things are affected by their environments. Few things exist in vacuums, and those that do are not organic, obviously they die of suffocation. Even religion is a product of its environment. And so begins today’s examination of yet another aspect of this week’s study of the Second Coming of Christ.

The Book of Revelation seems to be a favorite among people who want to decipher dates and times about the Second Coming, despite the fact that Jesus says it is not for us to know the dates and times and instructs us to live for the day. We discussed this over the last few days explaining that life is the gift that God to us, meant to be lived and not wasted with worry about tomorrow. And the best way to be prepared for the Second Coming is to accept the teachings of the first coming.

Furthermore, the Book of Revelation comes with a warning,  “Everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if any one adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book,  and if any one takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.” You’ll find this at the end of the Book, chapter 22, verses 18-19. A book of prophesy, demands interpretation, and those who interpret – in the words of the warning, are adding and subtracting to the prophesy.

The Book of Revelation was written by St. John, the same one who wrote the fourth Gospel, from the island of Patmos toward the end of the first century. He was talking to the Christian community of that time in a code that they would understand. The Christians for the first century were under tremendous persecution and gist of the Book is to let them that in the end, God will prevail.

Revelation was the last book to be accepted in the Biblical Canon by the Church in the fifth century. It was written in a time and place far from us. Revelation, as anything else, must be understood in context of space and time.

If I wrote in my journal, today, that I was facing some challenges and I decided to bite the bullet we would all understand that with courage and decisiveness I did something that was difficult and unpleasant. Yet, 2000 years from now, if someone found my journal they would certainly pity me thinking that in the face of my challenges began chewing on live ammunition!

In Armodoxy we allow God to be God and we live the day as best we can according to the guidelines given to us by Jesus Christ.

Today we pray a prayer from the Armenian Church’s Book of Hours, Jamakirk, Lord our God, we give thanks to You, for You have granted us to pass this day in peace. Grant us, O Lord, to pass this evening and the night before us without sin and stumbling, and to stand firm and abide steadfastly in faith, in hope and in love and in the observance of Your commandments. Give peace to the world and stability to Your holy Church and salvation to our souls. For to You is befitting glory, dominion, and honor, now and forever and ever. Amen.

Prelude to the Second Coming, Love

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Armodoxy for Today: Prelude to Second Coming, Love

This final week of the Lenten Season is dedicated to the Second Coming of Christ. As I’ve shared over the last couple of days, the Church talks about preparedness for the Second Coming in terms of living a life based on Christ’s first coming, namely, living in harmony with God and your fellow man. We read that the leaders of the religious community tried to trick Jesus by asking which is the greatest commandment, thinking that he might choose the Do not murder, or perhaps, Do not make false oaths and in return they would argue the merits of another commandment. But Jesus gives them an answer that cannot be disputed: Love God and love neighbor and he seals this commandment by saying, “On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.”

Today we meditate on the simplicity of Christ’s call to love God and our neighbor. If you love God you cannot murder, you cannot lie, you honor your parents, you cannot be apathetic about life. Every commandment hinge on these two essentials.

We hear the reports from war daily. There is a vocabular of war with phrases such as targeting innocent people, friendly fire and war-crimes, in other words, there are certain crimes inside of war confrontations that are criminal, as if war itself is not a crime?  Think of it for a moment, if you love God how can you possibly drop a bomb on another human being? Whether military or the civilian target, aren’t they all innocent? Aren’t they all children of God?

The 17th century French archbishop François Fénelon expressed it eloquently: All wars are civil wars because all men are brothers… Each one owes infinitely more to the human race than to the particular country in which he was born.”

Christ’s path is the higher road to take. In the context of the Second Coming, if fear of a final judgment stops people from hurting and killing one another, then let us promote that day. But let us promote it with the terms by which Jesus promoted it: Love God and love your neighbor! Everything is built on these two commandments. Love is an action that must be demonstrated not with words but with deeds.

Today I leave you to meditate this simple parable offered to us by our Lord Jesus Christ.

A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’  And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he repented and went.  And he went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him. (Matthew 21)

Missing the Destination

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Armodoxy for Today: Preparedness

Sunday was the sixth Sunday of Lent, known as the Sunday of Advent, or coming, referring to the Second Coming of Christ. We continue from yesterday’s message…

Since Apostolic times we, the Christian Church, confesses to Christ’s return to judge the living and the dead. And we have traveled the course prescribed by our Church for two Millenia. Sadly, somewhere along the way of two-thousand years of Christianity, someone pulled the switch and took the train off course. I don’t know how, who or when, all I know is those on board will miss the destination.

It has become quite popular for people to interpret prophecies, especially the Book of Revelation. Millions are spent by innocent victims who are being given misleading information – false interpretation of philosophy – for a chance to be part of the select group that will outlast horrifying and cataclysmic events, trials and tribulations and end up sitting with Jesus on his return.

Furthermore, these false readings have caused wars and escalated anxiety and fear in an effort “help God usher in the Kingdom.”

Is it any wonder that our Church Father designated the Gospel Passage from Matthew chapter 22 as the passage for the Second Coming. Listen attentively, because you may think you missed something…

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to test him.  “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.”

Did you hear that? Or, I should ask, what did you NOT hear? Nothing about horseman, tribes, the sun falling out of the sky or 666? That’s right! The Church Fathers ask us to read this passage on the Sunday of Advent because they don’t want us to miss the destination, that is, life! Just as Christ asks us, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.” (Matthew 6:33-34)

It is easy to be consumed by end time discussion, and lose track of life itself. With this passage we learn, the best way to be prepared for the Second Coming of Christ is to adhere to the teachings of the First Coming of Christ: to love God and neighbor. “On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.”

We continue tomorrow.

Eschatology for today

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Armodoxy for Today: Eschatology for today

The last Sunday of Lent is called Advent Sunday. Advent means coming and in this case it is used in reference to the Second Coming of Jesus.

 In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 24, we read, Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see “the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven” with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

On these very words, and several other passages in Holy Scriptures many people and religions have built belief systems about the end times. There is even a word, eschatology, derived from the Greek, to refer to the concerns and expectations of the end of the present world order, history and/or the world itself. Many popular ministries and preachers have come to huge fame interpreting signs and times, and as is evident from Jesus’ words, this is not anything new. Certainly those who heard Jesus pronounce these words were interpreting the signs of their times as well.

To be sure, the Armenian Church subscribes to the formula expressed in the Nicene Creed: [Jesus Christ] is to come with the same body and with the glory of the Father to judge the living and the dead; of His kingdom there is no end. This is what we confess and this is what we believe.

We also believe the unfailing word of Jesus Christ who says, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”  And he concludes by saying therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

This week, with the directed eschatological view from our Faith we will discuss and discover the meaning of preparedness for the Second Coming as well as sift through some of the different ideas that bring fear and anxiety in the heart of the people, in their search for reconciliation with life and therefore God.

We pray from St. Nersess Shnorhali, Christ, the true Light, make my soul worthy to encounter with joy the light of your divine glory, on the day I will be called by you; and to rest in good hope, in the mansions of the righteous, until the great day of your coming. Have mercy upon your creatures, and on me, a sinner. Amen.

Farsighted Victory of St. Gregory at the Pit

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Armodoxy for Today: Farsighted Victory

On this final Saturday of the Lenten season, the Armenian Church commemorates St. Gregory the Illuminator’s admission into Khorvirab, or “the Deep Pit,” a place of exile and punishment. It is at the base of Mt. Ararat and is marked with a church atop the sacred space. St. Gregory was sentenced there for the capital offense of spreading the Christian Gospel through Armenia. For thirteen long years he remained in that subterranean dungeon, being nourished and cared for by the prayer and love of a faithful young lady who had converted to Christianity. He found the strength – the kind which comes from within – to challenge the system and to remain faithful to the principles and beliefs that are at the core of Christianity. Meanwhile, the Gospel of Christ had been planted and was now blossoming, in this young girl’s heart. Both St. Gregory and this young lady, Khosrovidughd, showed physical and inner strength, and we remember that strength today.

The commemoration of St. Gregory’s entrance into the Pit should remind us of the many “pits” – prisons and dungeons in our lives. It is easy to blame others for those falls, but we should not discount our role in creating some of those prisons. Yes, even St. Gregory could have done otherwise but he did not, and therefore, he is responsible for being in Khorvirab. As noble as the reasons may be for our actions, we are part of an equation which has rewards or consequences on the other side of the equal sign.

As we mature in faith, we understand that there are serious consequences if not ramifications to every decision we make. Much like was the case for St. Gregory, if we stay firm to our principles, we may be challenged with pits in our lives.

Sitting here today, removed by 1700+ years from St. Gregory, we have a special vantage point. History may be translated into the advantage of farsightedness. We know that St. Gregory was punished in Khovirab –the Pit – but we also know the history that he was delivered and as a result, the conversion of Armenia took place, making it the first Christian nation on Earth. From the actions of St. Gregory’s death sentence, a people were given an opportunity to live.

This farsightedness is a gift from God. It is the ability to stand at one point in history and see another. To stand at Good Friday looking up at the Cross with farsightedness and see the Resurrection is our calling.  St. Gregory’s crucifixion the resurrection of a nation took place. Truly, farsightedness is a Christian gift because we see crucifixions through the lens that reveals resurrection. We see the empty tomb of Easter while standing at the cross of Calvary on Good Friday. Sometimes the pits of life are very, very deep, which is the meaning of the word Khorvirab. We struggle to overcome our difficulties. We search for a glimmer of light coming from above – a bit of light to keep us focused on hope to get out of the ditch. We appeal to farsightedness to see the beams of light coming our way.

This farsightedness kept St. Gregory alive. He was certain of resurrection following his crucifixion.

We pray a prayer given to us by the father and patron saint of the Armenian Church, St. Gregory the Illuminator:

Blessed is your love for human kind my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Save me from my enemies for like a lion they growl and roar seeking to swallow me up. Now my Lord, flash your light up and destroy their power. Exalted God the only sinless one grant me this sinner your abundant compassion. Save me this wicked one by the grace of your mercy receive me into paradise with the perfectly just. Receive the prayers of this your sinful servant by the intercession of the saints who are pleasing to you Jesus Christ our Lord. Glory to you with the Father and the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Why the Widow? (and the Judge)

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Armodoxy for Today: Why a Widow?

As we continue your dive into the Parable of the Unrighteous Judge this week, we note that the woman who asks for her case to the heard is identified as widow. In fact, throughout the gospels you’ll find several references to widows. The use of a widow in this Parable, (Luke 18) is not an arbitrary or a random selection on Jesus’ part.

In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 7, we read that as Jesus was passing by the gate of the city of Nain, a funeral procession was taking place. The Gospel narrative gives us these details, the dead man was “the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her.  When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.” (12-15)

Yes, Jesus has a special concern and care for widows. In this story, the details are essential to understanding Jesus’ compassion and why Jesus reacted the way he did. In the society of that day – that is first century Palestine –  women were identified by their fathers, their husbands, and in the event that they were widowed, they were identified by their male sons. In this story, we find the widow has lost her only son, and therefore, she will be an outcast, without identity and betrayed to a life of indigence. Sadly, in parts of the world this still true, and in many societies, this can be found to be the case.

Jesus paid attention to the forgotten, to those who slip through the cracks and become shadows.

The Parable of the Unrighteous Judge has many dimensions, as we have explored throughout this week. The detail of a widow seeking justice is an important one to align us with Christ’s attention to the voiceless, the powerless, the forgotten.

We pray today, Lord, open my heart to Your love, that I may notice and tend to the forgotten. Amen.

Prayer, without Permission (Judge)

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Armodoxy for Today: Prayer, without Permission

We continue today with a deeper dive into the Parable of the Unrighteous Judge, a story offered by Jesus and recorded in the 18th chapter of the Gospel of Luke.

Today we look at a phrase in the Lord’s Prayer – the “Our Father” – where Jesus teaches us to prayer, “Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When we say these words, it is not an affirmation that God’s Will can be done on earth as it is in heaven. As such the phrase might give the impression that we are giving permission to God: Let Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven! Go ahead God, You can do it!

God does not need our permission, rather he waits for our participation. In other words we need to accept the invitation to make His Will come to fruition here in this world.

Jesus’ parables and his message are packed with invitations for us to move to action. God’s Will has been clearly announced at the Birth of Christ: Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward men. (Luke 2:14) That is His Will in Heaven. That is the basis of the harmony that we understand in Heaven. Now the challenge is ours, to be the agents – the hands, the feet, the mouth, the embrace, the desire – to usher in His Will on here on earth.

Don’t read more into it. His Will is not death and destruction of the planet. It’s not the killing of one ethnic group over another. He is Our Father. We are all His Children. Peace and harmony is what He announced at the Birth of His Son and it is that mission for which we – His children – must strive.

Once again, on this third day of the deep dive, we find the Parable of the Unrighteous Judge teaches us to accept the invitation to participate in with God in the beauty of Life.

We pray, Lord, open my heart to accept Your Call to be an ambassador of your Love and Peace. Give me the strength and courage to accept this invitation and to act upon it. Amen.

Directional Prayer (Judge)

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Armodoxy for Today: Directional Prayer

The Parable of the Unrighteous Judge is the theme of this week of Great Lent. The parable is recorded in the 18th chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Yesterday, we heard the story of a judge who is neither afraid of God nor ashamed of men. He is continuously hounded by a widow who begs him to see her case. He finally breaks down, reasoning that she will wear him out unless he see her case.

The parable might leave some with the impression Jesus is explaining how God answers prayers – that if we are persistent, we can wear-down God to give us what we desire. Perhaps it is for that reason that the evangelist St. Luke, writes a few words of explanation as a preface to the parable. He says, “Jesus told His disciples this parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” St. Luke’s preface suggests that during his time – during the first century –  as is the case today, there was and is a misconception about the nature of prayer.

When Jesus teaches us the “Lord’s Prayer” he warns, “Do not heap up extra words. Your heavenly Father already knows what you need. Therefore when you pray, pray like this. Our Father, which art in heaven … ” Let’s think about that for a moment. If our Heavenly Father knows what we need, why then should we pray? This question betrays the fact that we have a misunderstanding about prayer.

Prayer is not merely a conversation with God. We pray because we need a conversation with ourselves. God already knows the desires of our heart. He knows our needs and as a loving father, wants the best for us. The real question is, do we know our needs? It may sound strange, but unless you have a true focus on your life, it is questionable whether or not you know what your needs are.

Do you suppose God doesn’t know that you are feeling lonely? Yet, only you can extend yourself to another for companionship. Pray then for courage, for the ability to forgive your past. Do you suppose God doesn’t know that your friend is struggling with an illness that can consume her life? Yet, you have the feet to enter you into her room, and the arms to embrace her during her time of trouble. Pray then, for strength, for the ability to resist comments, and only listen. Do you suppose that God doesn’t know that the world is in despair and on the brink of war? Yet, only people, you and I, have it within them to lay down their arms. Pray then for the spirit of peace, inside you and to be the instrument of that peace where you go.

Pray to God, but direct that prayer to God who resides in you as well as in Heaven. This is yet another lesson from the Unrighteous Judge.

We will continue with a deeper look at the nature of prayer tomorrow. Today we pray, Here my prayer O Lord, and open my spirit to your mercy and love. Amen.

The Misunderstood Judge

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Armodoxy for Today: The Misunderstood Judge

The Sunday of the Unrighteous Judge is the third Sunday during lent that gets its name from a character of questionable moral fiber. Joining the Prodigal Son and the Dishonest Steward from the last two Sunday, today the Unrighteous Judge rounds off the trilogy by bringing focus to our prayer life. Jesus offers the parable in the 18th chapter of the Gospel of Luke.

The Unrighteous Judge is a man who, as Jesus explains, did not fear anyone – not even God, nor was he ashamed of any person. In the town where he served as judge a widow kept coming to him and pleading with him, begging him to hear her case. For some time he refused, but finally he said to himself, “Even though I don’t fear God, nor do I care about men, but because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice so she won’t eventually wear me out!” Jesus concludes his parable with an interesting statement. He says, “Listen to what the unjust judge says and will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night. Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly.”

Indeed, this is an odd story at least on the surface. At first reading you might think that Jesus compares God to this unrighteous, unjust judge. Following that parallel you’re inclined to think that God can be worn out or worn down. It is as if we continue to pray repeatedly, God will eventually say yes to our needs and to our desires. So keep praying, be persistent. Persevere like the old lady! And in the end God will be tired of hearing you and will change His mind! Imagine that… if His answer to you was no, you’ve now succeeded in changing His mind to Yes!   As much as you’d like to believe that God can be easily swayed, and even if it falls in line with practices found in the Old Testament, that not what Jesus taught.

Read Luke chapter 18. This week we will look at prayer and the power of that prayer to move mountains. We will take an Armodox approach to the parable and the message Jesus shares. We’ll dare to ask the question: why pray to a God who does not answer prayers. For today, we begin with the simplest lesson on prayer, first, in Jesus’ words, if the Unrighteous Judge, who was not afraid of God or man, vindicated the woman, how much more will Your caring and loving Father in Heaven take care of you and all His children.

We pray, Lord, teach me to trust You. As You taught us, allow me to understand my Heavenly Father as the One who cares and loves me and all of His children endlessly. Amen.