ARCHDIOCESE OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, NEVADA, WASHINGTON AND OREGON

Transcription

1 COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ALEXANDRIA ARCHDIOCESE OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, NEVADA, WASHINGTON AND OREGON Servants Contest

2 H.H. Pope Tawadros II Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the see of Saint Mark

3 Table of Contents Page 1- Be Transformed 2- Possible or Problem 3- A King Returned with His People to God 4- Seven Proofs of the Existence of God 5- Signs of our Orthodox church 6- The Servant and A Life of Joy 7- A Study of the Epistle to the Philippians

4 1- Be Transformed Bishop Makarious once said, Change is a feature of life; everything in life can be changed and transformed, so ultimately we can say that the only consistency in our life is change. People generally react to change in two very different ways. Either they are satisfied with what they have and see no need to change, or they love change and see it as a healthy part of life. as the Bible teaches us, change is not something superficial. Change is an internal and fundamental transformation, as St. Paul says, Be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). A. WHAT IS TRANSFORMATION? St. Paul explains that this fundamental transformation is a series of four steps: renewing your mind, becoming a member in the Body of Christ, using your different gifts to serve the Church and becoming a faithful witness in the community. 1- Renewing your mind In Greek, renewing of the mind is the word metania ; meta meaning change and nea coming from nous which means mind. To renew my mind, I have to think about the consequences of being separated from God and living a sinful life. I must realize that sin: a. Destroys the spirit: it separates me from God b. Destroys the mind: it leads me to live in darkness c. Destroys the soul: it makes me overcome by lusts and desires d. Destroys the body: it makes me vulnerable to many diseases e. Destroys relationships with others: it makes it difficult to maintain a healthy social life On the other hand, living a holy life: a. Builds the spirit: it makes me closer to God b. Builds the mind: it enlightens my mind with the Word of God c. Builds the soul: it encourages me to continue my spiritual struggle through God s grace d. Builds the body: it makes me live a healthy life away from impurity e. Builds relationships with others: it helps me lead a socially successful life 1 Servants' Contest 2016

5 2- Becoming a member in the Body of Christ, the Church Through Baptism, we become members in the Body of Christ. In His Body, which is the Church, Christ is the head, the Saints are the heavenly members and the believers are the earthly members. Believers live a communal life, partaking of the Holy Eucharist. They find themselves in a community where Christ leads with His infinite love and His unlimited power. The saints are their role models and intercessors who pray for them. St. Paul speaks about the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ. Since we all partake in the Body of Christ ( the Lamb ), we become members of one another (Romans 12: 5) and we help and support each other as true members of one Body. 3- Using different gifts to serve the Church St. Paul speaks about the gifts given to the believers, which are prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, and showing mercy. As St. Paul instructs us, Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness (Roman 12:6-8). Each member has a role in building the whole body. 4- Becoming a faithful witness in the community Christianity does not isolate us from the community but sends us out as messengers of love and peace. As St. Paul says: a. Practice hospitality (Romans 12: 13) b. Do not mistreat someone who has mistreated you. (Romans 12: 17) c. Do what is right in the eyes of everyone (Romans 12: 17) d. Do your best to live in peace with everyone (Romans 12: 18) e. Do not let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good. (Romans 12: 21) B. HOW TO BE TRANSFORMED? The Holy Bible and the Church explain that transformation occurs through personal struggle and divine grace. 1- Personal struggle Each person must fight for his own salvation. Personal struggle can achieved in many ways: a. Having good intentions: Our Lord Jesus asks the paralytic man, Do you want to be healed? (John 5:6). When I sin, the Holy Spirit convicts me. But do I want to get rid 2 Servants' Contest 2016

6 of my sins and live with God? The Holy Spirit works in me, but I must respond. Our Lord Jesus says, I stand at the door and knock (Revelation 3: 20). He does not impose Himself and will not enter unless I permit Him to enter. b. Making an effort: It is not logical to surrender to Satan and give in to sin without making any effort to fight and flee from him. This involves: Keeping my senses pure, and being careful of what I see, hear and say. Maintaining holy relationships as I cannot be saved in the midst of evil friendships. Struggling against sin, trying my best not to fall and avoiding places that lead to sin. Rising after a fall and not surrendering to sin. I must repent before God and confess before the priest to obtain absolution and guidance. c. Spiritual satisfaction: A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb (Proverbs 27:7). It is important to satisfy myself with different means such as praying, fasting, reading the Bible and taking communion. d. Spiritual vigilance: I must watch over my soul, my senses and my behaviour, anticipating a spiritual war and put on the whole armour of God, as mentioned in Ephesians Divine grace As humans, we are limited. The devil is strong, and the world around us is full of temptations. Who then can save mankind? No one except God because He is unlimited in His love, in His wisdom and in His power. When the grace of God comes upon us, we can say with St. Paul, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). The grace of God provides: a. Justification through the blood of Christ who carried my sins in His body on the Cross instead of me. b. Salvation from the original sin through the Cross and from my sins through Repentance and Confession. c. Sanctification by the Holy Spirit, Who will live in me and I will become a temple for Him. d. Glorification as we are God s children in this world. In His second coming, we will be clothed with luminous bodies and ascend to heaven. We will live with Christ forever as heirs in His Kingdom. 3 Servants' Contest 2016

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8 2- POSSIBLE OR PROBLEM Purity is more precious than life Believe it or not! The ermine lives in the forests of north Europe. It is a small animal with white fur. Its fur is whiter than snow. This animal is known for its cleanness. It always takes care of its white fur. So the hunters exploit this habit to catch it. Instead of using mechanical traps as with other animals, they put black tar at the entrance of its lair. When they found the trace of an ermine they let the dogs go after it. The animal tries to escape toward its lair but finds it covered with tar. So it prefers to stay outside rather than dirty its white fur. The ermine faces the dogs that chase it with courage until it fall in the hands of the hunters. The ermine prefers purity over life. The white flower: Some tourists visited a coal mine in England. They found a white flower in the dust of the mine. They learned from the guide that this flower secrets an oily substance to prevent the dust from sticking to it. The guide showed them how that would work by placing some dust on the flower, but the dust did not stick and the flower kept its white appearance. My friends: If the ermine prefers to die than to live in impurity and the flower that has short life, secretes the oily substance to keep its white colour how much more you who are anointed with the holy oil of Myron should keep yourself pure in the middle of the world. St. Paul commanded Timothy his disciple saying Keep yourself pure 1Timothy 5:22 Know that god will not ask you to live in purity without offering you all the means to help you to fulfill the commandment with joy and gladness. 1-What is purity? It is not abstaining from sexual impurity (either by acts or by thoughts) but it is keeping your heart always pure. Through baptism and Myron your heart became the dwelling of the Holy Spirit and this continue through the sacraments of confession and Eucharist and all the others spiritual means. So keep your heart, eyes, ears, mouth, hands, mind and feet from slipping in the sin which has a bad smell, a bitter taste and destructive thoughts. The life of purity is a complete cleanness inside and outside where the person keeps himself pure in this world. Why? Because this is the only way to see god and to inherit the kingdom 5 Servants' Contest 2016

9 of heaven as the Bible says: pursue peace with all people and holiness without which no one will see the Lord Hebrews 12:14. Exactly as our Lord said in His sermon on the mountain: Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall be called sons of God Matthew 5:8 Purity is not an invitation to deprivation and frustration but it is an invitation to taste the sweetness of the friendship with God and unity with Him. It is an opportunity to have communion with the heavenly hosts and be able to see God. It is a union with God Who is Holy and the grantor of all righteousness. It is abhorrence of evil and corruption... I might fall but with the grace of God I will rise again. God will not judge me for my fall but for giving in to sin. Many limit the purity to just abstaining from physical sin, however purity has a deeper meaning: Our Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven 40 days after His Resurrection. He promised His disciples that He will come again, and He will send them the Holy Spirit, Who will stay with them and with the Church forever. Purity of the body: as it is the temple of the Holy Spirit so we should not use it to satisfy our desires. Purity of the thoughts: so our mind will not be a place for the devil work but for meditation in the words of God. Purity of senses and emotion: these are gifts from God that we should use to love God and all people. Purity of the heart: to accept everybody Purity of the environment where we live: the believer will consider the earth where he lives as a holy heaven. With this broad understanding, we do not look at purity in a negative way (do not do) but the believer become a holy person lead by the Holy Spirit during his journey from earth to heaven. 2-The entrance of the sin... close your windows The senses are the main entrance of the sin in our life. Senses (Entrance: eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hands)...thoughts... false feelings... Desires... Multiply... more Desires From the following references find out the different sides of a pure life: Luke 11:34, James 3: 6, 1Corinthians 6:19 and Proverbs 1:33 6 Servants' Contest 2016

10 Ask yourself what do you see, hear, say or touch? The sight: It is the most dangerous sense that affects the life of man. Do you know why? Because it is your window to the world so you have to be very careful about what you see. The empty mind is a lab for the devil What can happen in 30 seconds? When you are watching the TV or sitting in front of the computer! In 1970 a scientist studied the physiological changes that happen in the brain of a person watching TV. He found that within 30 seconds of watching TV the brain waves that indicate alertness and focus change and start to show decrease in alertness and focus. He pointed out that the left side of the brain, which is responsible of dealing with the information in a realistic and analytical way, stops receiving. The right side of the brain starts receiving the information emotionally without thinking. So the person will accept all what he sees without discernment. All this happens very quickly. From here we can see the danger of the sense of the sight, the devil offers he does not force. He asks you to try... this thought or this look if you don t like it change the channel or turn off the computer. But it is impossible as you find yourself captured and you will continue watching... all this happens within minutes. Do you know how to burn a CD? There are many files but you choose all you want to put on the CD, then by pressing ADD, you burn it. Similarly, Satan wants to copy all his thoughts into your mind and your heart. So after a while you find that your heart starts to produce evil thoughts. 3-Is purity possible or is it a problem? It is a problem if: -I don t want it and the evil power is stronger than my limited abilities. So I always say there is no hope. My friend: whenever you are weak or enslaved remember the commandment keep yourself pure 1Timothy 5:22 and remember that there is a stronger power that can help you. Jesus Christ is always waiting for you, but don t forget to close the enemy s entrance. My personal abilities are limited. If I don t rely on God s grace I cannot do anything as it is written without Me you can do nothing John 5: 15 The strength comes from God s dwelling in you. His grace is a wonderful power that lifts the soul above all the lusts and the desires of the body. 7 Servants' Contest 2016

11 How can I get this grace? Through spiritual struggle, Bible study, uniting with God in the sacrament of Eucharist, through the sacrament of confession, obeying God s commandment and be full of Christ. I live an empty life without mission or goal, without any responsibility. The empty heart is a place not only for one devil but for many. So fill your life with profitable things, your work, your study, service, good readings and pure friendship... etc There are temptations in the surrounding society. Nothing new under the sun : four thousand years ago there was a society living in more impurity than what we see today (Sodom and Gomorrah). Evil company corrupts good habits 1 Corinthians 15: 33. Every day we encounter many temptation and stumbling situations but trust in Christ who can help you and keep you. Sometimes we see people living in impurity but they give it different names e.g. civilization... modernism... fashion... etc. But remember that a fish that s alive can swim against the current. Joseph was a slave in a foreign society at the time when there was no written law and he refused the sin. So do not use others as an excuse the Bible says: you are inexcusable O man Romans 2:1 4-Prescription for treatment Using the following references, list the different values behind them: a. Psalm 17:10, Psalm 63:5, Isaiah 58:11, Proverbs 27:7 Without fullness of the Spirit you cannot live in purity. Purity is your responsibility but it cannot happen without the work of God in you. God does not force Himself into your life but you have to come and sit at His feet. God knows the impurities of the heart and thoughts He knows that you cannot sanctify yourself by yourself. That is why He gave you a fiery Spirit who is able to burn all the thorns of sin inside you. Do not be afraid of the fire of the sin, because He who changed the nature of the fire in the fiery furnace and saved the three youth and walked with them in the middle of the fire can do the same with you. Trust that the life of purity is the work of the Holy Spirit your role is do not quench the Spirit 1Thesalonians 5: 19 My friend: Nourish your spirit by prayers, Bible reading, communion, and spiritual readings and ask for the intercession of the saints. Repeat the prayer of Jesus with understanding and above all sanctify your senses and give them as tools in God s hands for His glory. b. Serakh 21:2, 2Timothy 2:22, 1Timothy 6:11 Flee from the sin... Serakh 21:2 Joseph was not ashamed when he escaped naked; Samson and David did not escape. 8 Servants' Contest 2016

12 The victory was for the one who escaped wisely. The Bible commands us to run away from sin. What does escape mean? How? Fill in the blanks: Do not escape to but escape to. It is good to remind yourself that you are not more righteous than David or wiser than Solomon. God said about David I have found David the son of Jesse a man after My own heart, who will do all My will Acts 13:22. Despite that one sight made him fall. You are not wiser than Solomon whose wives turned his heart away from God... Do you trust yourself? No... but escape and always know your weakness in order for the grace of God to help you. Stay away from situations that might weaken your self-control. Ask yourself what you want to achieve in your life. What do you need to get rid of? E.g. magazines, books, videos, messages, pictures that you save on your cell phone, relationships...etc. Evil company corrupts good habits 1Corinthians 15: 33 Do not allow any impurity to soil your perpetual cloth but keep yourself holy as it was said For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ Gal 3: 27 Let all your members be holy so they will be clothed with holiness and light. Saint Basil the Great. c. Psalm 51: 2, Psalm 51: 7, Jeremiah 4: 14, John 13: 8, Acts 22: 16 You fullness with Christ and your escape protect you. You might fall because of human weakness but always repent and return to God. Principle 1- The pure heart is not the heart that does not sin but it is the heart that does not keep the sin in it. They thought they could hide something from God, so their punishment was severe. We must not forget God s justice. Ananias and Sapphira tried to deceive the people but they could not deceive God. d. Psalm 3: 4, Psalm 55:16, Psalm 57: 2, Psalm 86:3, Psalm 141: 1 Do not despair... you offend God when you lose hope. Cry to the Lord as the Bible says For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure Philippians 2:13 God does not only give you the desire to do what is right but also the strength to do it. As if He wants to tell you Do not be afraid to come to Me, you are My son and a chosen vessel. I know your weakness, it might be the result of your negligence or laziness but when I see you struggling against the sin I rejoice and I 9 Servants' Contest 2016

13 collect your tears in a container with me... I do not rejoice when I see you falling in despair or running away from me because of your sins. Remember that God s love will conquer the sin. Whatever your condition is He is able to raise you up because He loves you. Only do your best faithfully without looking at the result just trust in Christ that He will give you victory. Finally... The life of purity is a gift from God given to those who struggle. It is the work of the Holy Spirit who sanctifies your heart and walks with you all the way. Do not be anxious because of your sins. The Spirit of God wants to sanctify your body and your soul. He sanctifies your heart and your mind, your worship and your prayer, your daily works and your time. Do not be afraid of any pressure or sadness for God will grant you a life full of joy St. Cyril the Great Your struggle in the life of purity could be negative or positive... Discuss with your servant. 10 Servants' Contest 2016

14 3- A King Returned With His People To God A) WHO IS HE? Josiah is a (ebrew name that means God heals. God used him to heal the apostasy of the nation of Israel in one of the hardest periods of its history. He was the 16 th king of the Kingdom of Judah. He ascended the throne at the age of 8 and remained there for 31 years. The young king was enthroned during a time of severe corruption. His people had begun a period of decline as Amon, his father, had filled the land with dishonesty and evil deeds, And many brought gifts to the Lord at Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations thereafter Chronicles : and before that, his grandfather Manasseh, who reigned 55 years, had spread evil throughout the kingdom. Josiah received the kingdom after 57 years of corruption and apostasy after his father and grandfather reigned. He inherited a ruined and corrupt Kingdom; however he did not tolerate this corruption. Instead he turned to the divine promise and moved forward. B) THE SECRET OF BLESSING IN THE LIFE OF JOSIAH The secret of blessing and righteousness in the life of Josiah were due to many factors but the most important were: 1- A Pious Mother: The author of the book of Kings attributes his righteousness and forthrightness to his mother and says, Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. (is mother s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. Kings : -2), and Adaiah is a Hebrew name which means beloved. Many commentaries on the book of Kings state that she was like Hannah the mother of Samuel, Monica the mother of Saint Augustine, Yokabed the mother of Moses and Efneky the mother of Timothy and other mothers who played a major role in the lives of their blessed children. 11 Servants' Contest 2016

15 2- The Repentance Of King Manasseh, His Grandfather Perhaps the second most significant reason for the blessed life of King Josiah was the repentance of his grandfather King Manasseh. In his final days he began to correct the path which the nation had taken. He destroyed the idols and all sorts of sacrifices from the house of God and all the altars which he built on top of God s house and Jerusalem and he removed outside the city. (e then restored God s altar and gave sacrifices of peace and thanksgiving, Now therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or persuade you like this, and do not believe him; for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand? Furthermore, his servants spoke against the LORD God and against His servant Hezekiah. He also wrote letters to revile the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people from my hand, so the God of (ezekiah will not deliver (is people from my hand. Chronicles 32:15-17). In the final five years of his life Manasseh tried to correct all the mistakes of the past. He attempted to correct the mistakes of his son Amon but with no avail. Amon had gone beyond reform and was full of corruption from his father s life. So it was Manasseh who began to teach his grandson Josiah the love of God and he instilled in him a spirit of reverence and worship. Manasseh died when Josiah was only 6 years old but his grandfather s teachings remained with him. 3- The Honest Teachers Perhaps the third reason was the presence of trustworthy teachers who were surrounding Josiah during that time. They encouraged him and advised him. They were Jeremiah the prophet, Halkia the priest, Shafan the author and Khelda the prophetess. Whoever studies the character and life of Josiah and learn that his father Amon died when he was just eight years old, may ask why God permitted Josiah be raised as an orphan. Some may see this as unfair and wonder what he did wrong to lose his father and inherit a ruined kingdom at the age of eight? Some said, perhaps it was for the best that his evil father died while he was still young so that he would not be influenced by his evil ways. However, we thank God in all things and in all conditions and even if our mother or father abandon us, God remains our best friend and constant companion throughout our life s journey. 12 Servants' Contest 2016

16 C) JOSIAH AND THE REQUEST TO RETURN TO GOD Concerning Josiah, the author of the book of Chronicles says, For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images Chronicles :. Josiah started to have a personal relationship with God at the age of 16 and this was the turning point in his life, as success starts from within. Each of us has an inner world and an outer world. The calmer, more organised our inner world is the stronger we are and the more we will be able to achieve. However, if our inner world is divided and fragmented we lose on all fronts. A world leader once said, we won many battles but we were defeated in front of ourselves. (ow beautiful is the phrase, (e sought the Lord. Most year old young men chase after gold, silver, money or a wife, but instead he sought God. Here I must say to every young person, even if you own the whole world and you do not have God, you have nothing. But, if you have God and nothing else you have everything as you have the King of the Universe. D) JOSIAH AND COMPREHENDING THE GOAL AND MESSAGE When does a person discover the purpose of his existence? One can never truly discover this until he has connected to his God. Separated from God ones actions become an aimless struggle with all his achievements ending with his death. By the time Josiah had reached the age of 20 and had known his God for four years, he had discovered his mission in life. He put his search for God into practise. In the same way our Christian life is not only the internal, that is prayers and praising, but an effective, living example addressing societies issues. So Josiah came to the realisation that he needed to rectify what time had corrupted. His aim was not only to obtain the throne or to have authority or possess properties but his goal was that his kingdom be that of God and his Christ and to make God happy through his reign. 13 Servants' Contest 2016

17 Josiah progressed towards reform. He started by demolishing the idols and statues, heights, masts, the altar of Baal. He destroyed them and scattered them over the graves of those who sacrificed to them. For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images. They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars which were above them he cut down; and the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images he broke in pieces, and made dust of them and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles 34: 3-5). Josiah realised that his reform should not be limited to just Jerusalem and his kingdom but should include any corrupt region. This is why he also brought reform to the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon and Naphtali, And so he did in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali and all around, with axes. Chronicles :. And they were all the cities of the Northern Kingdom. Josiah actually personally oversaw the demolition of the altars himself. He also ensured that these altars would not be rebuilt again by burning the bones of the dead which were on top. Corruption had entered the holy of holies, so Josiah ordered the mast from the house of God to be brought out and burnt. He also took out all the vessels that were made for Baal and his mast from the house of God and also had them burnt at the valley of Kidron. He demolished the houses of the Moabites and the high places at the gates, And he brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba; also he broke down the high places at the gates which were at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were to the left of the city gate. Kings :, they were the high places which were erected at the city gates and on it was a statue whose upper half looked like a human and whose bottom half looked like a goat and he demolished the altars that were on the roof, the upper chamber of Ahaz, The altars that were on the roof, the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the Lord, the king broke down and pulverized there, and threw their dust into the Brook Kidron. Kings :. These were the altars of worship built by King Manasseh. Josiah uprooted idolatry and pursued that everywhere to the extent that the author of the book of Kings said, Moreover Josiah put away those who consulted mediums and spiritists, the household gods and idols, all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that (ilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord. Kings :. The household gods are said to have been owned by individuals: compare (Genesis 31:19), (1 Samuel 19:13) and they were idols used for home worship. This proves that Josiah attempted to uproot the worship of idols even in the homes of the people. 14 Servants' Contest 2016

18 E) JOSIAH AND THE RESTORATION OF THE TEMPLE At the age of 26, after 18 years on the throne, King Josiah began to restore the temple. Not only did Josiah purify the kingdom from idolatry, evil and corruption but he went to restore the temple of God and purify it. It had been neglected for 60 years and it needed restoration, not only due to negligence but it had been damaged during the Assyrian conquest. Some may ask why Josiah waited this long to restore the temple as he had started his mission at the age of 20. Perhaps it was that he was so busy purifying the Kingdom of its corruption and, due to its widespread effects, it took many years to purge it of all the evil. Or perhaps it was costly to restore the temple and the kingdom s treasury did not permit it. Josiah assigned this important mission to a number of secular people. They were Shafan son of Asliah, and Maseia the head of the city, and Yoakh son of Yoahaz (2 Chronicles 34:8). Josiah did not want the temple to be just a place of beauty but a place of worship in order to draw closer to God and to be the centre of light. F) JOSIAH AND THE BOOK OF THE LAW During the restoration of the temple, Halkia the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord (2 Chronicles :. Dr Autry says in his book, Progress in the Old Testament, that if Josiah had not been so intent on restoring the temple he would have not found the Book of the Law. This finding was far more amazing then the restoration itself as the Book of the Law had contained many blessings hidden for those who are honest to God. In an attempt to accomplish a good deed they have accomplished an even better thing than the original goal. How was the Book of the Law first lost from God s nation? (ow can a nation completely neglect its Holy Book? And was there a more important book in the life of the nation that that book? Did the nation forget God s word? (ere the true picture of the state the nation had reached is revealed. We can conclude that spiritual ruin is always followed by national ruins. 15 Servants' Contest 2016

19 Finding the Book of the Law is proof that the word of God never fails, no matter how corrupt a nation is or how wicked its priests are. The Book of the Law challenges time and conquers the doubt and indifference of whom it was sent for. Some say that the book was buried under a heap of stones when Ahaz burned other copies of the Law. Or perhaps the book was lost at the time of apostasy during the reign of King Manasseh. Perhaps it was hidden in the Ark of the Covenant which Manasseh placed in one of the rooms of the temple and it was forgotten all those years (2 Kings 21:2-16, 2 Chronicles 33:9), or perhaps it was lost when the temple was defiled or it was laid on the fence as was the custom in the olden days when the temple had first been built. After Halkia the Priest found the Book of the Law he passed it on to Shafan who then brought it to the king and read part of it to him. When Josiah heard the words of the law, he tore his garments. There was no mention of Akhikam, Akboor, Halkia, Asaya or Khelda the Prophetess tearing their garments as King Josiah did. He was the soft hearted one who was the most affected. Perhaps the Book of the Law was a discovery on the same level as some of today s archaeological discoveries related to the Bible, but the Book was considered by Josiah as the book of life and existence. Josiah sobbed and tore his clothes as a sign of his sadness and repentance as he discovered that his ancestors did not live their life according to God s laws, Thus it happened, when the king heard the words of the Law, that he tore his clothes. Then the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying, Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for those who are left in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book. Chronicles : -21). So they went to Khelda the Prophetess. Her response can be divided into two sections: (i) She warned the king that judgement would not take place during his reign due to his humility, because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you, says the Lord. Chronicles 34:27). (ii) Although the damage did not take place during his reign he was still distressed as he felt that his nation s future was far more important than himself. Soft hearts are fertile ground for the seeds of progress and God wants to use men where, through them, He can change the destiny of nations and kingdoms. But God cannot use a 16 Servants' Contest 2016

20 selfish, self-centred person. Josiah was outside himself and his concern was for his nation and its problems and how to free his nation from its slavery. This is why he sent for all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem, and all the people, from the youngest to the eldest, and he read to them, in the house of God, from the Book of the Law. Josiah stood on a platform and made a pledge in front of God, saying that they should follow God and know His commandments, requirements and prayers with all their heart and soul and to do all that is written in the book (2 Chronicles 34: 19-31). Here we find Josiah setting the best example to his people of obedience to God. Josiah was not embarrassed to announce his repentance in front of all the people and to admit that he himself was among them a sinner. Josiah s actions show his great humility, not only in front of God but also in front of His people. G) JOSIAH AND THE PASSOVER In the 18th year for King Josiah s reign, that is when he was 26 years of age, he organised the Passover to be held in Jerusalem before the Lord, But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah this Passover was held before the Lord in Jerusalem. Kings :. The Passover was the most important of all Jewish Festivals and it carried many beautiful, spiritual symbols. God gave this feast to the Jewish people just before the last plague, the killing of every first born Egyptian. Each first born of the Jewish nation, however, was saved (Exodus 12). The Passover signifies salvation and deliverance from their slavery into freedom and from humiliation to honour. The Passover indicates the importance of blood, as God told them, Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when ) strike the land of Egypt. Exodus :. Josiah wanted to deliver these important symbols to the nation one more time to remind them of their importance. Many years had passed since the Feast of the Passover had been celebrated and it would have been erased completely from their memories had Josiah not revived it once more. The author of the Book of Chronicles said of Josiah, There had been no Passover kept in )srael like that since the days of Samuel the prophet; and none of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as Josiah kept, with the priests and the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem Chronicles :. It was said about the Passover Feast which Ezekiel performed, that one like it had not been seen since the days of Solomon, however, the Passover Feast performed by Josiah s, had not been seen since the days of Samuel, that is 500 years earlier. As a king, Josiah did not just issue orders for the organising of the Passover Feast but he himself participated in the worship. It was said about him, Then Josiah gave the lay people 17 Servants' Contest 2016

21 lambs and young goats from the flock, all for Passover offerings for all who were present, to the number of thirty thousand, as well as three thousand cattle; these were from the king s possessions Chronicles :. So he was very generous and he gave donations to the leaders to assist in the preparations of the Feast. H) THE DEATH OF JOSIAH Josiah died at the young age of 39 years. He had reigned 31 years and was buried in the tomb of the kings. His death was a great loss to his people, (is servants therefore took him out of that chariot and put him in the second chariot that he had, and they brought him to Jerusalem. So he died, and was buried in one of the tombs of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. Jeremiah also lamented for Josiah. And to this day all the singing men and the singing women speak of Josiah in their lamentations. They made it a custom in )srael; and indeed they are written in the Laments. Chronicles : -25). The question that we are faced with now is: Why did God permit that righteous king to die at such a young age? Why did God permit his death while the kingdom was in great need of him? Why did God permit his death when he was a blessing to his nation? We can t answer these questions but we must accept, with joy and submission, the will of God and understand that it is for the best as we do not know the future and our view is limited and narrow. Perhaps God permitted his death so he may not see evil during his days. Perhaps God had compassion on him so that he may not see the temple, which he restored, become ruins or see the nation which he toiled for over many years be forced into captivity. God spoke to Josiah 12 years before his death, during the restoration of the temple and after the discovery of the Book of the Law saying, because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you, says the Lord. Surely ) will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamities which I will bring on this place and its inhabitants. So they brought back word to the king. Chronicles : -28). And God followed through with His promise and took him before the difficult days came to pass. The author of the Book of Kings says about Josiah, Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him. Nevertheless the Lord did not turn from the 18 Servants' Contest 2016

22 fierceness of His great wrath, with which His anger was aroused against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked (im. Kings : -26). Josiah was a great, righteous and virtuous king but his reforms did not reach the whole nation. The changes did not penetrate deep enough and did not reach all the corners of the nation. Finally my beloved youth, let us contemplate over what we have read and discover the secret of blessing in the life of King Josiah. What can we do so the blessings may fill our lives? Do we, like Josiah, long to return to God, purify our lives and the lives of others from all evil and defilement? Do we seek to plant within us the word of God, nourish ourselves with the Eucharist, and give God all our possessions so that we may become a blessing? 19 Servants' Contest 2016

23 4- Seven Proofs of the Existence of God 1. The existence of God in our faith We belief in the existence of God as witnessed by the nature, the intellect, the conscience, the human spirit, the consciousness and finally by His incarnation, and through the study of human history we may perceive the presence of God. The following pages will shed more light on this subject. 2. The existence of God in the beliefs of other peoples All peoples have a belief in the existence of God. Even pagans believe is some deity but err in their identification of God, believing instead in many gods and associating each with a particular divine trait. They have also established prayer, offerings and sacrifices. 3. A belief in the existence of God is innate Faith in God is deeply rooted even in the souls of children. If you speak to a child about God, he does not question you about who He is. If you say to him, Do not do this! or Do that to make God happy! he does not argue with you. It is in his nature to believe in the existence of God, and this faith is never shaken in his heart or mind, except through doubts that come at him from without, through Satan s warfare or through the ideas of men when he reaches the age of uncertainty. The causes of atheism I. Religious causes a. Fierce assault and censure by the media on the Holy Bible. Someone who is not steeped in the knowledge of his faith may be affected by these notions. b. The influence of friends c. Financial conditions d. Trends, fashions and seeking what is strange, provocative and eye-catching 20 Servants' Contest 2016

24 II. Political causes In communist countries, the cause of atheism was political indoctrination pressure on the part of the regime and fear on the part of the people. When political pressure vanished along with the fear it caused, tens of millions of people in Russia, Romania, Poland and other countries, either came to the faith or declared that faith they had concealed out of dread of the violence of their governments. 1. The Types Of Atheism I. Marxist Atheism Some writers have described it was a rejection of God, and not a denial of His existence, due to the economic troubles and the burdens of poverty under which many lived while a few rich lived the life of luxury and extravagance. As a result, those atheists believed that God lived in an ivory tower, not caring about the suffering of the poor of the working class. Therefore, they rejected (im and declared that religion was the opium of the people that numbs them so they no longer feel their misery. II. Existential atheism Existentialists are those who wish to take pleasure in their sinful desires, which they perceive to be forbidden by God, and so their maxim could be, )t is better that God does not exist so that we may exist, that is so we may sense our existence through the gratification of our desires. Accordingly they ridiculed the Lord s Prayer in their saying, Our Father who art in heaven. Let (im remain in heaven and leave the earth for us. Consequently, it is not a belief system built upon a sound foundation, but rather it is a pursuit of the indulgence of one s desires. 2. How Do We Grasp The Existence Of God a. We are unable to analyse a matter without the appropriate tools. Thoughts require a mind to grasp them and matter requires the senses to perceive it, but our great God is an immortal Spirit and so we are unable to perceive Him apart from the spirit. We require an open heart for a spiritual experience, and a humble soul thirsting for truth and holiness in order to discern God. 21 Servants' Contest 2016

25 Is it feasible to study geography using the principles of chemistry? Is it reasonable to research mathematics using a microscope, or microbes using the theories of mechanics? We are greatly mistaken if we imagine we can discern divinity with our minds or senses. God is not a thought to be grasped with the mind, nor is He matter to be perceived with the senses, but a Spirit discerned through the spirit. b. There is, however, not the least contradiction between the mind and the faith for we all know St Augustine s familiar words, I believe in order that I may understand, and the even more appropriate expression of St Paul s, By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Essentially, faith is the microscope that the eye of the mind uses to discern what is above its limitations and the telescope that brings close to the naked eye that which it cannot see though it exists. Faith is neither an inhibitor nor a deceiver of the mind, but rather a mind, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, finds absolute rest in the truths of faith, just as the physical eye depends on the facts of bacteriology after it has become acquainted with and is helped by microscopes. 3. Proofs Of The Existence Of God I. The First Proof Agreement Between Science And The Holy Bible We do not believe that the Holy Bible is a book of science, but rather a book that defines the relationship between God and man. However, does this mean that a Christian should fear or be hostile toward scientific sources? Is there no harmony between science and the Holy Bible? Has modern scientific research robbed the Christian person of his ability to reconcile the faith with these scientifically enlightened times? We should make clear that the majority of scientific theories were originally mere conjectures - a theory emerges and after a while, another theory comes along that invalidates the first. An example of this is an expression found in a scientific reference that attacked the Holy Bible. After the author elaborated by putting forward numerous explanations of the formation of the earth, we find 22 Servants' Contest 2016

26 him saying, Our particular galaxies is an insignificant part of the universe which perhaps was formed billions of years ago. The study of the solar system affords us at least with a key to the formation of this part of the universe in which we live, that is the earth. The generally accepted explanation now is the notion that suggests that our solar system was formed from the sun because of the approach of a huge star, which, due to the law of gravitation, pulled large clumps of hot gas and dust. This dust and gas gradually cooled down and became planets, which remained in their orbits around the sun. This is how the earth very slowly came to its current state. They are, then, merely attempts at explanations that at least give us a way to put forward a theory. Simply put, we are guessing. After that, the same scientific reference digresses with some explicit explanation of the events of the distant past. Let us, however, continue in our analysis in order to get to the heart of this first proof of the existence of God. At the beginning of the discussion of possibilities, the scientists assume beforehand the presence of our solar system and the existence of another giant star, the law of gravity, and clumps of fiery dust and gas, and they say that these began to cool and then remained in their orbits around the sun according to their gravitational pull. What a wonderful conception of the universe: a solar system, a giant star, precise laws that do not change. These all clearly point to a great and rational Power. Let us together think about these millions of laws governing temperature, light, energy, motion, and astronomical and gravitational orbits, which demand that every mass be transformed into a spherical body and remain in that form... and about millions of other existing laws. What does it all mean? Let us return to the core of the matter. Is the dilemma merely to understand our solar system? Certainly not, if as scientists inform us that our solar system is but one of many in the Milky Way, our own galaxy, and that it is but one of millions of galaxies which in turn form but a minor part of the vast universe. Have you begun to perceive through which law one star may approach another, or a fiery clump of dust and gas may be cooled, or a planet may be drawn in through gravity? The mere quiet contemplation of the practical theories, demonstrates that they communicate a universe that is governed and bound by laws. Accordingly, the 23 Servants' Contest 2016

27 existence of an established, static, unseen but effectual law, demands the existence of its author. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another? God, the creator of the universe and all that is in it, is the author of these laws. II. The Second Proof The Theory Of Evolution Evolution is the process of gradual change in the natural world, including the animal and plant kingdoms, from simple and elementary forms to more complex forms. Note that evolution presupposes a living organic beginning. It does not consider how the life was formed initially. The theory of evolution (theory = we assume) declares that all the forms of life that we see now, including man and all the many different kinds of plants and animals, have formed gradually from extremely simple forms to complex forms that depend on each other, each having a particular life cycle and an appropriate way of reproducing. The theory of evolution, then, asserts that life has evolved in a gradual process through an innate force until it attained its current complexity. The crux of the matter is that evolutionists, geneticists, biologists and other scientists have not been able to offer any proof that life could originate from a non-living source. While it is true that in certain laboratory experiments scientists have managed, using certain chemical processes, to create synthetic DNA and insert it into an empty cell, this differs completely from Abiogenesis or spontaneous generation. There is a dividing line and a wide chasm between life and death, between nihility and existence, and evolutionists strain themselves in vague suppositions, speculation and theories to explain the origins of life. On the other hand, there is a scientific principle that is clear and conclusive, giving us an important proof of the existence of God the Giver of life. This is the law of the origins of life that states that life only comes from life and the nonliving cannot generate the living. Perhaps it is that scientists do not have a known law as irrefutable as this law. The existence of life necessitates a Giver of this life. It is revealed in the Bible, And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. 24 Servants' Contest 2016

28 God the mighty, the living and the Giver of life, who was before all things and gave life to the first man, and who gave all creatures the capacity to multiply according to certain patterns, is the great Giver of life and there is none like Him. III. The Third Proof Matter Has A Beginning And An End In their theories, geologists have always relied on an ordered universe, existing matter, as the theory of evolution has relied on matter, laws and a simple life form. What, then, is matter? Matter occupies space and has weight, but does not necessarily have to be seen, as gases and even the air we breathe are all considered as matter. Scientists, until recently, discussed the law of the conservation of matter. However, discoveries of the nature of the atom and the experiments Madame Curie on radium have proven the possibility of the breakdown of matter. This conversion of matter is a scientific fact, for example, Uranium-238 decays gradually to become Lead-206 through multiple intermediate stages. Thus, over many years radioactive uranium turns into lead, and gives off energy during its decay. We do not see new uranium coming into existence. Science, then, proves now that this earth is decaying. Therefore, the extent to which mountains rise is the extent to which they erode! Riverbeds rise so that, if this process continues, gradually they all become one level. This, in addition to the matter of the decay of Uranium into lead, shows us how the universe is inevitably going to its end. Thus, science also confirms that matter is not everlasting. Matter came into existence sometime and therefore is not everlasting and has a beginning. The creation and the beginning of the physical world necessarily require the presence of a Creator, and things made a maker. The whole universe resembles an enormous clock, wound up one day and is now unwinding. Even until now, we do not know nor perceive of a way to wind it up again. It is as if man has appeared in the picture in the middle of an ordered universe proceeding gradually to its inevitable end. Observe the fields, the mountains, the valleys and all the other landforms around you. 25 Servants' Contest 2016

29 The geologist John Powell observed the process by many rivers cut through the landforms, and concluded that, given sufficient time, the waters would cover the land, no matter how high the form is, bringing all to the level of the bottom of the ocean. It is certain that matter was created and did not come by chance, and is not everlasting. This is the third witness: creation demands the existence of a Creator. IV. The fourth proof: Comparative Embryology Then God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind ; and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Scientists have tried to prove that the idea of evolution through the study of comparative embryology as well as natural selection and genetics. We shall only lightly touch upon this subject, satisfying ourselves with the fact that there exists a consistent, conclusive and immutable law that makes the change from one species to another impossible. There are numerous of members of the one species and, regardless of the differences in size or form, they are still of the same species. The study of comparative embryology attempts to show that the embryos of fish, animals and humans are identical. This is true, but this not evidence for evolution. Rather it is the strongest evidence for the existence of God. Scientists have been unable to transform the embryo of fish into another animal or a human as the embryo will develop into the same form of the fish that laid the eggs. Similarly, selective breeding experiments do not prove evolution as much as proving that there are set laws governing animal and human reproduction, and that these laws work within certain bounds that cannot be defied or bypassed. 26 Servants' Contest 2016

30 While we can today develop new varieties of the same species, they are nonetheless from the same species and are not transformed into another species. The simple peasant devoted to his land, knows well the idea of a selective breeding, and expert scientists in their laboratories can determine an accurate picture of the function of genes and chromosomes and their effects in humans, and can predetermine the characteristics of the offspring. This confirms the wisdom and power of God, as it was who establish these laws and still preserve them. Our God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind. Scientists have attempted, by comparing the skeleton of the chimpanzee, the gorilla and the human, to prove a common origin. This however is great myth! On the contrary, this similarity also proves the existence of God. This, in fact, is a unity of design, evidence for a sole Architect who plans and designed this universe. This is only a functional similarity for our God is the author of all of these living and effective laws and their preserver. V. The Fifth Proof The Cycle Of Life We live in a very complex universe, which is designed in an extraordinary way. Sunrise is always joyful, deserts, mountains and rivers blend in supreme beauty unspoiled, by the hand of man. Nothing lives or dies for itself. All forms of life interdependent. The traditional question in evolution is, "What appeared first the ear or the grain of wheat?" Did the grain slowly evolve through millions of years of independently of the stalk from which it derives its life? Did the flowers, grass and trees evolve very slowly over millions of years independently of the tiny seed, the origin of life? Evolutionary scientists have struggled to answer these questions. Like the ancient dilemma: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? which scientists consider trivial. The reason for this simply is that he does not know the answer, so he twists the question into a joke to evade giving the answer. 27 Servants' Contest 2016

31 This complex cooperation between life forms proves the existence of an Initiator and Architect. He is the great Designer, before whom the universe, with all its complexities, appears and He grants it the capacity to exist. Nothing lives and dies for itself. Plants and animals decompose after death to prolong the life of other organisms. A tree grows, dies, then falls down to become a part of the earth of the forest, thereby providing younger trees with those nutrients essential to life. This great and complex universe, and the intricate earth on which we live and the air of which we breathe are the handiwork of a great Designer. The properties of minerals, the wings of birds and insects, the majesty of the sun rising, striking facets of a crystal and above all the amazing constitution of the human body, all speak of an eternal Designer. Indeed, the order existing in the universe declares the existence of a great designer who is God. VI. The Sixth Proof God s Revelation Of Himself 1. The prophecies of the Old Testament: Almost a third of the Holy Bible is prophecies, and much of that speaks about what is to come, but also declares happening of the past and the present. God sent His prophets hundreds of years ago to such great cities as Babel, Ekron, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Tyre and Sidon. These ordinary men foretold the ruin and fall of these cities, and the specific circumstances associated with this devastation. These prophecies were fulfilled in their entirety and at the time determined by God. Indeed, God knows the future and declares it through prophecies that are inevitably fulfilled. 2. God s revelation of Himself: a. Through oral communication with certain people or through prophetic dreams b. Through visions while the person is unconscious to all physical senses c. Through visions while the person is using some or all of his senses d. Through unique inspiration to the writers of the Holy Bible e. Through supernatural miracles f. Through the incarnation of the Son of God the Word in the fullness of time 28 Servants' Contest 2016

32 VII. The Seventh Proof Answered Prayer This is perhaps the most significant proof of all for us as Christians. Because atheists and sceptics never pray, so never experience answered prayer and consequently are cynical. The examples in the Holy Bible, church history and everyday life, of God's answers to the prayers of his children are boundless, and accessible to all believers, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them Some may imagine that answered prayer is merely the result of our focus on a matter. In fact, it is direct divine intervention in a miraculous way, where His capable hand declares that the answered prayer is the fruit of obedience to the laws of God, of walking according to His will, and of faith in His promises. These are the seven proofs that clearly affirm the presence of our great God and is just a simple introduction to the subject. We are no longer before assumptions and perceptions, for we have ample evidence and proof. The time has come to say it with Job, For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth. 29 Servants' Contest 2016

33 5- Signs Of Our Orthodox Church Our Orthodox Church is characterised by important signs and features which individualize it from any other structure and those characteristics are frequently said in the Nicene Creed which all Christians around the world believe in and we hear it from the deacon in the holy liturgy when he addresses us saying: pray for peace, unity and holiness of our apostolic orthodox church of God. FIRSTLY: ONE It is one church despite of its diversity in nationalities, languages and countries as it is one in Christ Jesus. The church is built upon its single faith for the one God through its individual teaching after getting baptised with the only baptism in the only church living with its single hope in our Lord Jesus. (Ephesians 4:3-5). 1- The Body Of Christ: The church is the body of Christ where Christ is its head, and for the apostle Paul to clarify the dimensions of this reality, he wrote two messages for us: A) Ephesians: which concentrates on the members of the holy body: We read from it the following: - Just as (e chose us in (im before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before (im in love, Ephesians :. - And (e put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is (is body, the fullness of (im who fills all in all. Ephesians : -23). - There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; Ephesians : -5). - And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, (Ephesians 4: 11-12). - For we are members of (is body,[a] of (is flesh and of (is bones. Ephesians : B) Colossians: It concentrates on the head of the body (Christ): - (e is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by (im all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the 30 Servants' Contest 2016

34 body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. Colossians : -18). - if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister ) now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, Colossians : -24). The following facts are clear from the above verses: - There is only one body for Christ and Christ glory be to Him is the head of that body. - That was the intention of God from the beginning and the cross was the salvation of the Jews and gentiles and it is the one which united both together.. - The saviour is the one who consoled the earthly with the heavenly and our Lord Jesus the incarnated God is the infinite saviour. - He will abide in us so we may live the glory in this age and in eternity and we as members in his body have our job, service and our role in building the whole body and our happy end is eternity in the Lord. Yes... he is only one Christ!! One Church!! 2- The Bride of Christ: As our Lord the Christ is one body, He also has one bride which is the holy church! And this divine revelation tells us: - For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. Corinthians :. - (usbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave (imself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians : -27). - (e who has the bride is the bridegroom John :29). Therefore there is only one bride for one bridegroom!! Which is the one church!!. 3- The intention of Christ: The holy church was: - An idea from the beginning which is God s intention from the beginning... the creation of humanity according to His image...and giving it free will... the chance to fall and get up 31 Servants' Contest 2016

35 again... and although Adam will fall, God will return him back to Him through deliverance and he will prepare for him salvation and send the prophets to him. - In the past, heritage, whether in the Old Testament and what it contains from characters, symbols, prophecies and signs leading to the salvation of The Lord to us or what is in the New Testament, when He incarnated and died for us or in the era of the apostles then our apostolic fathers then the fathers of the church, what they offered from struggle, example and teachings. - In the history of the church until recently, where our church follows the example of the fathers in shepherding, evangelism and martyrdom. It is an immortal heritage. The root of the tree of the living, fearless church. - In the present... fact... whenever the church extends its roots in the ground of time, its trunk is even more elevated and was filled with leaves, flowers and fruits that we see in reality in the image of kids who love the Lord, youth who are sanctified with grace and elders who pass to us their experience and continual daily giving and proliferation not only inside and outside of Egypt but in the whole world, this is obvious in the sharing of around 200 churches around the world in the festival of Saint Mark in Our Coptic church is an extension to the apostolic church especially during the 4 th century before it was divided. It has been straight without inclining right or left, there is no doubt that whoever approaches the first roots and the first fathers will find himself one with us... not because we boast and are superior or because we feel more virtuous than others not at all!! But because we are an extension to the original roots not more than that!!. - In the future revelation... how happy are we with a divine building dialogue that gathers us and unites us and makes the intention of Christ come true that they may be one as We are John :. How happy are we with a church that proclaims and evangelises, that includes all creation, every human being and all angles of the human being!! That is what the Christ was held over as bridegroom and head!!. - In eternity everlasting life... the one church is everlasting in Christ Because ) live, you will live also John :. Yes it is the one church to the one Christ, seeking everlasting life in the presence of God and in unity with him... let s live those feelings and act accordingly...let s be living members in this holy body... and let us be a holy bride and share in it for the marriage of the Lamb has come Revelation :. 32 Servants' Contest 2016

36 Secondly: Only The only one of her mother, the favourite of the one who bore her Song of Solomon :. One Church From the number s point of view... Only from the type s point of view)...as there is no other existence in heavens or on earth like the church!! 1- It brings together the divine and the human: The church is the body of Christ where our Lord Jesus (The infinite and eternal) is the head of that body. As humans the ones passing to heavens, the ones on earth and the ones who believe in him are members in that body. This unique situation which unites the divine with the human is one of the fruits of the divine incarnation as when our glorious God, The Word (Logos) incarnated, the divine wisdom which is infinite took human flesh resembling us in everything except sin alone. He intended three things which are: A- TEACHING: He came down to our human level, to our earthly reality and to our sensual nature in order to teach and guide us ( Saint Athanasios). B- SALVATION: With His divinity He was able to be infinite, without blemish and the creator who can renew the human being and recreate him. With his flesh, He became a human who can die for our sakes!! And that is how He was elevated on the cross in order to carry the punishment of our sins! Then He arose from death in order to take us to eternity! No one but Him can deliver us. C) UNION: He gave us what is His and took what is ours ( Saint Athanasios). (ere we remember the example of the piece of hay and the Asbestos of Saint Athanasios and how the piece of hay (The weak person) was able to escape from the fire (Divine justice) when the Asbestos (A material that is not flammable) was completely engulfing it. - For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Galatians :. This is the glory of Christianity! Not only because we will become followers to Christ! But also because Christ will live in us. - Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? Corinthians :. 33 Servants' Contest 2016

37 - That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith Ephesians :. In the past the Lord manifested Himself on the mountain or in the tabernacle as Smoke, as a pillar of fire, pillar of cloud but now the Lord lives in us... How glorious. In the Church of Christ we feel Christ on the altar. We take in His holy Body and Blood and we unite with Him eternally so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. John 6:57). 2- It brings together the limited time with everlasting life: The church took eternity from its eternal and everlasting bridegroom. - For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Corinthians :. - To him who overcomes ) will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as ) also overcame and sat down with My Father on (is throne. Revelations :. Where is the time here?! He has entered eternity and settled in everlasting life!! The church by truth it joins between limited time and eternity It joins between the heavens and earth: The church s head is Christ the existent before all ages the existent in heavens and on earth at the same time No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven (John 3:13)!! This is in regards to Christ to whom be all glory but in regards to humanity, some people entered paradise, some are still struggling on earth. Sharing between the heavenly and the earthly is a membership company at the core as the heavenly feel what we feel, they surround us as a cloud of witnesses. They intercede for us, as the rich man who was away from God had compassion on his brothers on earth and asked for their deliverance and pleaded to our father Abraham to send Lazarus to them so they may see someone from the dead and repent from all their sins. How much more will the saints feel towards us who are living on earth while we are facing the king of this world, the spirit who works in the children of sin? The intercession of the saints in us, is common sense, as they are members in the rest of the body and family members of God and can we imagine a living health body whose head is Christ yet His members do not feel each other! Didn t Saint Paul say: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Romans :. 34 Servants' Contest 2016

38 Therefore there is a tight tie which connects the heavenly to the earthly. The tie of the living Christ who lives in us all Because ) live, you will live also. (John 14:19) and the tie of divine life which is poured in all the members of the body through the Holy Spirit which is given to us. They intercede on our behalf and we commemorate them in the mass. We also commemorate those who have passed away and ask that they may be comforted in paradise... Yes, at Church the prophecy has been fulfilled: Surely (is salvation is near to those who fear him that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed. Truth shall spring out of the earth and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yes, the Lord will give what is good; And our land will yield its increase. (Psalms 85: 9-12). In the church we sing with the angels: Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men Luke :. It is an encounter between heaven and earth!! The house of god among people!! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven! Genesis :. 4- The gathering of multitudes with multitudes: If the tower of Babel has divided us, the tower of the Church has united us!! The first: was a man made tower, haughty and separated from God... but the second: is a Godly tower that unites us in God!! Christ our Lord commanded the apostles saying: - Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark : - For God so loved the world that (e gave (is only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John :. God has paved the way for that proliferation and the entry of nations (Gentiles) through a lot of witnesses, from the salvation of Nineveh to the prophecies of Isaiah proclaiming their salvation to the healing of the daughter of the Canaanite woman to the parable of the Good Samaritan etc Yes, He is the Christ of the whole world, with all its nationalities, colours and nations. With all its poor, middle and rich levels. For in the church, like in heaven - a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, Revelation :. 35 Servants' Contest 2016

39 5- The unity of material with spirit: Jesus Christ the God of Glory with his incarnation, he united between the spiritual (divinity) and the materialistic (flesh)...and so the flesh was united with the divinity once and for ever... The church uses substance (Materialistic things or people) in the holy sacraments, in which the holy spirit is poured to sanctify it and make holy, whether it is the Baptismal water, the Mayroon oil, bread, wine, oil for the healing of the sick or it also uses the human being in repentance, marriage and priesthood... For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer Timothy : -5). Thirdly: Holy The church is holy in everything because Christ our Lord to whom be the glory loved it just as Christ also loved the church and gave (imself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians : -27).The word holy in Hebrew or Agios in Greek means, a person or something consecrated to God. Holiness: means consecration and ownership to God! Exactly as we do now in the New Testament, where we consecrate or ordain people, walls, vessels and the altar and everything in the church in order to be consecrated, holy and pertaining to God and cannot be anyone else s but God s. These are some examples: Firstly: CONSECRATING THE HUMAN BEING - In the sacrament of Mayroon: The priest prays and anoints the baptised one with the holy mayroon making the sign of the cross 36 times: 1- The head, nose, mouth, ears, eyes with the sign of a big cross which contains 8 small crosses. 2- The heart, belly button, back and stomach (4 times) 3- The right arm (6 times) 4- The left arm (6 times) 36 Servants' Contest 2016

40 5- The right foot (6 times) 6- The left foot (6 times) In those anointments we observe that the church wants to consecrate the baptised in order for him/her to become a temple for the Holy Spirit: Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. Corinthians 16-17) - In the sacrament of repentance: the Christian person struggles against sin with the grace of God placing in front of his own self not to sin and if he sins despite of struggling against it repentance will grant him forgiveness. Therefore repentance in the Orthodox understanding is: a- Regretting sin... from all the heart. b- Genuinely willing to stop it with all your might. c- Believing in the Blood of Christ which is given for the forgiveness of sins. d- Confessing to God in front of a priest in order to obtain absolution and guidance. That s why St John the Dargy says: We all have defiled the garment of Baptism but the tears of repentance are a second basin to baptism. Firstly - Changing Of The body: the sanctification of the human being takes place through: Baptism and continual repentance. The end of that sanctification is the last day when the human being takes away the weak body and sin and puts on the luminous body which resembles the body of the Lord when he arose from the dead. - who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body Philippians 3:21 ). - And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear[a] the image of the heavenly Man. (1 Corinthians 15:49) That s how the church walks with all its members sanctified to the Lord! 37 Servants' Contest 2016

41 Secondly: SANCTIFICATION OF THE PLACE: We do not pray the divine liturgy except in a consecrated place or at least where there is a consecrated wall which takes place of the altar. For the altar has a biblical prophecy which was mentioned in Isaiah the prophet: )n that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt )saiah 19:19), and it is known that it was not permitted in the Old Testament except one altar in the temple of Jerusalem where the sacrifices were offered but the rest of the places were for reading, worshipping and preaching and they were called (synagogues). What is this altar except the altar of the New Testament and thank God that it is in the land of Egypt, where Christ the Lord visited it with His holy mother and Joseph the righteous. Thirdly: Sanctifying the things Everything )s sanctified with the word of God and prayer (1Timothy 4:5). As Moses was in the Old Testament sanctifying everything inside the tabernacle, also in the New Testament everything in the church is sanctified and consecrated and here are some examples: 1- The Holy Tablet 2- Holy Vessels 3- Brazier 4- The Tray 5- The Cup 6- Spoons 7- The Icons 8- The Relics Of The Saints 9- The Consecrated Baptismal Font... Yes the holy church is: In the human being In the location In the substance To prepare for the last sanctification before we wear the body of resurrection and enter the world of the saints in order to be with the Lord forever. Fourthly: Gathering The church unites all nations and people. It embraces Jews and gentiles, free and slaves, males and females, old and young, from all ends of the earth and in all ages (Galatians 3:8) It is the church that is not limited to a location or an age. The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, Mathew :. 38 Servants' Contest 2016

42 1- It unites both testaments (The Old and New): The church of the Old Testament with all its characters, books, doctrines and practices was a stage from the church stages as a whole and all who were in it sought to the saviour and being filled with Holy Spirit...Did not Isaiah the Prophet shouted: Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! )saiah :, and Job moaned saying: Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both. Job :. The New Testament was hidden in the Old Testament as the Old Testament was uncovered in the New Testament as the saying of Saint Augustine. 2- It unites the several spiritual doctrines: The Lord did not create us as replicates of one another as he is a capable artist wanting to create from every human being a beautiful unique icon...that s why the Lord let the human being chose the spiritual doctrine which suites him and he supported him in order to walk in the path of his choice, with honesty and in straightness, in order to grow. Some love contemplation like Mary, while others like to work like Martha. The Lord never rebuked Martha due to her care for working (serving) but because she was anxious and was caring a lot for the looks of the service more that the essence of it (Christ), so she came to the Lord and asked Him to send Mariam to her so she may also be anxious with the looks and forget about the essence. Also, in leadership you will find the meek, the tough and the fiery, but the most important is that the church the tender-hearted mother always seeks after her children no matter how their spiritual state is as it makes a great effort in teaching the preached until he is baptised. In the call for the sinful until he repents, in caring for the repentant until he is steadfast, in guiding the steadfast until he serves and in informing the servant until he evangelises and bears witness. 3- It assembles the different ways of life: To every person there is a unique formulation from God and it is up to that person to with the help of his spiritual father to uncover that formulation and the path that suites him... Although most of humanity is called to marriage and their inner formulation is to create a family... some are given a special gift for the sake of celibacy: - But (e said to them, All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven s sake. (e who is able to accept it, let him accept it. Mathew : -12). - It is clear here that celibacy: is a gift from God + the struggle of an honest person in order to protect that gift. 39 Servants' Contest 2016

43 Marriage is a gift from God and celibacy is another gift from God and for everyone to surrender their life to the formulation given to them from God depending on the gift given to them and to struggle in order to protect that gift. The Church teaches us that when it talks about The ways or means of salvation... although the saviour is one he prepared to the people more than one way in which they can obtain salvation like marriage or celibacy. 4- Brings together the styles of the human character: There is an intellectual character, emotional character and another according to the trend...etc. The spirit of God does not take us out of a style and into another but it blesses our character through grace and the blood of Jesus Christ so that our character can be spiritual and fruitful! Its spirit, satisfied with Christ, its soul enjoying the peace, its mind illuminated with the word, its body strong and relationships successful and growing for the glory of God. 5-It brings together the diverse human activities: The gifts of God to the human being are different from one to another whether it is from the number side or the kind side but the Holy Spirit which blew as wind in order to gather all in one, returned to be split on them as tongues of fire in order to distribute among them different talents which complete each other. They were unique to every soul and in them sharing and harmony through one spirit... There are diverse gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: Corinthians 12: 4-7). Yes talents do differentiate between one person and another but love brings them together in the arms of the church which is one body whose head is Christ to whom be all the glory. As in one body there are lots of organs, not all the organs have one job the same applies to us. We are one in Christ and members to each other but not all of us have the same talents: (Prophecy service teaching preaching - giving planning mercy - brotherly love worship - serving the needy - serving the estranged - sharing at the emotional level). Also we find in the church a variety of talents and we must use all of them in order to grow the one body. For that reason there is a variety of activities in the church and probably the activities and competitions in the festival of Saint Mark are a proof of that. 40 Servants' Contest 2016

44 Fifth: Apostolic Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone Ephesians :. The church went through different consecutive eras which are: 1- The era of our fathers the apostles: one of the most important characteristic of the church is that it is apostolic meaning that it is founded built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ (imself being the chief cornerstone Ephesians :. The apostolic fathers starting with the 12 disciples then the 70 apostles and ending with the 500 brothers who witnessed the glorious ascension all were the first to evangelise the holy Bible as they were the closest to the daily life of Christ our Lord and they are the ones who witnessed his sayings and miracles. The apostles in the orthodox understanding are: - The documented bible. The interceding doctrine - Receiving of the Holy Spirit on the 50 th day - The breath of the Holy Spirit which the disciples received. - The law of the apostles. 2- The era of our apostolic fathers: When the era of the apostolic fathers was ended in the first century by the martyrdom of the 12 disciples except St John the beloved the second century came to offer us the apostolic fathers like Augustine, Paulicarios and others who followed in the footsteps of the apostles. 3- The era of the defending fathers: Then came the defending fathers to walk in the same footsteps of the apostles and to confront the attacks made by the powerful idol worshippers against Christianity. Examples of those fathers are: Youstinos, Tetyanos, Apolinarios and Athinagoras...etc. 4- The era of Alexandria s school: The third century came in order to hear about the great scholars of Alexandria: Pantinos, Clement the Alexandrian, the intellectual Origin, Dionesyos the Alexandrian, Amonios the Alexandrian, Theognostos, Birios and Peter the Alexandrian...etc. 41 Servants' Contest 2016

45 5- The era of our fathers the monks: like Anba Antonios the father of all monks, Anba Bakhomios and Anba Paula the first of tourists...etc. 6- The era of division: The first division was in Halkedonia, the second in the 11 th century and the third in the 16 th century but the church remained loyal to its heritage whether it is the divine one or fatherly one or doctrinal one with the grace of Christ without adding to them or taking from them. That became an important hope in the hopes of the Christian unity... If some incline to the right or to the left, no doubt they will meet in the straightness of Orthodoxy. 7- The ordination of bishops after the Synaxarium: The church makes sure to read the Synaxarium after the book of Acts believing that its saints and martyrs walked and are walking in the path of the apostles but the ordination of bishops after the Synaxarium is because we are in continual connection as the church is holding onto its apostolic roots and consecrates a special fast and feast for the martyrs Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Sixth: Orthodoxy The church is not owned by anyone not even by itself, but it is owned by God who loved it and saved it by his blood and took it as a pure bride for himself... For I have betrothed you to one husband, that ) may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. Corinthians 11:2). That s why in Song of Songs the bride praises saying: ) am my beloved s, And my beloved is mine. Song of Songs 6:3). The Orthodox Church is straight in its opinion, beliefs and thinking (Ortho= straight) as its life is a continual glorification to its loving God (Doxy=Glory). The church is the being through which God is glorified in this age and in eternity with straight thinking and an honest life as there is no separation between the doctrine and life or between the mind, heart and the daily behaviour. Fact: How beautiful are you my Orthodox church as you are a lighthouse for the whole world in faith, martyrdom, teachings, monasticism and spirituality of doctrine which is witnessed throughout the whole world. We your children are proud of you. From glory to glory O church of Christ. 42 Servants' Contest 2016

46 6. The Servant And A Life Of Joy In the midst of a changing world, panic, anxiety and worry reigns. A question which nags at us is: How can I have a stable, happy life that is free of uncertainty and decline? Why do we, at times, feel miserable and that we are engulfed in feelings of pain, regret, anxiety or fear? What is a blessed joy and how can we obtain it? A) The Keys To A Life Of Happiness 1- The Keys To Repentance: Have you ever experienced moments in which you fell at Christ s feet, repenting of your sad and aimless past, determined to follow a more holy path? - The experience of our wretched fall is the foreign part in the harmony of our beautiful life. There is not a time in which I fell into sin and I was not torn apart, or fear filled me or guilt threatened me! If we want to find the correct way of using all this energy of repentance and regret after we fall (and this increases as a servant), we will discover that it is only in the light of the Bible that we find direction. - Christ Jesus enlightens our hearts and calls us, saying: All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. (John 6:37). Christianity transforms the energy of regret to the energy of repentance, the sadness of sin to the joy of prayers and being united with God. Christ opens His loving heart to the repentant sinner and allows him to return home justified. Dear brother and blessed sister, search and look, lest there be a loved sin which prevents the pouring out of heavenly joy from filling your life. My dear brother and sister, let us spend a few moments examining ourselves in order to submit to the Lord in true repentance and with a holy pledge! One may say, I am a servant and I have sinned so I will leave my service. But it is better to abandon your sin than to abandon your service. 2- The Key Of Discovering The Meaning Of Life It seems that much of the troubles of this generation occur in the conflict between the feeling of how insignificant the world is and feeling bored and frustrated with it and the feeling of how glorious the world is and idolising and worshiping it. A crucial question arises: Why do I exist? This is a question that is studied by the philosophers and writers of this generation. If our youth don t find a satisfying answer to this question they will surely fall into anxiety, breakdown and atheism. 43 Servants' Contest 2016

47 Life is not wearisome and existence is not a burden, as atheists and some writers of this generation believe. The presence of pain, suffering and injustice is not evidence of the meaningless of life. It is in those small moments when we spend time with a sick person and give them hope and makes them feel loved, the moments when we stand by a person who is in pain and give them support in tenderness, in prayer and practical brotherhood and the moments that we seize a friend from the flames of sin or the spiral of depression. All these feelings of love are the answer to the issues of existence. We have been created from Divine love, but not only that, when we sinned, the Lord suffered for our sake in order to save us and He revealed His love for us through that action. Therefore, as a sign of our love for Him, we should suffer for His name and for the sake of His brethren who are crushed. Let s uncover our mission, service and the meaning of life and existence. When we serve from all our hearts we gain joy and feel happy. We escape from our selfishness and our selfcenteredness so that we can pour ourselves on the altar of love as sacrifices of holy service that unites humanity and glorifies it. Let s offer love to those who are distant, lonely, deprived, deceived or lost, as this is the key to our happiness and this makes Christ happy with us, For in Him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28). 3- The Key To Submission: It is hard for one to be happy in the midst of tribulation but St. Paul the Apostles challenges us saying, ) now rejoice in my sufferings. Colossians :, Therefore ) take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ s sake. For when ) am weak, then ) am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10). When God opens our eyes we discover the secret of trusting and surrendering and we leave behind our crushing troubles and worries! Our real problem is that we place our problems between us and Christ and so we do not see Him through them and His loving face and capable hands disappear from before us. What we should do is put Christ between us and our problems so we may see them through Him. - Albert Kamy said once: This life deserves committing suicide. (owever, we answer, Welcome pain as long as we are in the arms of God and are encircled by Christ. We welcome the future and life s unknowns and burdens and sufferings because they all shine if we bring them in the presence of Christ. 44 Servants' Contest 2016

48 4- The Key Of The Eternal Look: - Vaulter once said, A human being is born, suffers then dies, and Biquit said, A person comes out of the darkness of his mother s womb and then ends up in the darkness of the tomb, crossing the darkness of life, and Freud said, Let s leave heaven to birds and angels. - But we, the simple ones, say to them with full trust, Take from Christ s light so that it may make clear the signs which give direction, as eternity is shining before us with all its joy and heaven is drawing us to it with all its glories. There is something else beyond the grave as King Solomon the wise said, Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes :. How did St Botamenna the Celibate stand in front of the boiling oil and lose her life in happiness and trust?! And how did St Perpetua lie down next to the beasts desiring this frightful destiny?! How did a procession of 30,000 martyrs, going from Damanhur to Alexandria, sing hymns of victory on their way to their grave?! There is something beyond the grave?! There is the true life and the true joy! Our earthly ambitions such as physical needs, materialistic possessions, status and a good name do not increase our happiness but instead they add to our worries. The few moments prior to going to sleep, during our silent adoration of God, will pour light into our heart and will lead us in the right way. - Is there a sin that needs repentance? Are there things that need complete surrender? - Is there a misinterpretation of what service is? Is there a deficiency in your mission and your genuineness? B) AN INVITATION TO HAPPINESS A servant is invited to watch the work of God and enjoy seeing another go after salvation. He is invited to share the happiness with the host of angels over one sinner who repents. The life of happiness is expressed in the continual presence of God in the life of a servant. 1- Being happy with the Lord and living and sharing with Him in a practical way. We believe the word of God, His promises and the blessings of the Bible as a personal message to every servant and the daily work of God in our lives. 2- Enjoying the completeness of the Lord s pain in us. I complete the incompleteness of Christ s burdens in my body for the sake of His body which is the church, pain as a friend to the bride groom and humiliation for His name s sake, For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (Romans 8:36). My brethren, count it all joy when you fall 45 Servants' Contest 2016

49 into various trials, James :, Who is weak, and ) am not weak. (2 Corinthians 11:29), indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. (Romans 8:17). 3- Happiness through the glory of Christ and His proclamation: Through my life and service I can become a cause of blessing and glory to Jesus Christ so I may not hear Him saying, The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you. (Romans 2:24) or, But woe to that man by whom the offense comes! (Matthew 18:7). 4- Happiness through eternity: Our goal is eternity while we are still in the flesh through praises and prayers, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. (Philippians 1:23). For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21). 5- Happiness for being members with others: In sharing the body of the one Christ, and calling everyone to come closer to God and live with Him in trusting faith and to see people and come to a meeting point with them in the highest goal, which is the salvation of the soul and enjoying Christ the saviour in the happy eternity. 6- Happiness with others: Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. (Romans 12:15). A sincere servant is the one who shares with other servants their condition, whether it is a happy or sad one, putting in front of him the principle: Because for this purpose ) have come forth. (Mark 1:38), To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. )saiah :. 7- Happiness with the fruit of the service: When the close one is steadfast and the distant one comes closer to the Lord, There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. (Luke 15:7). There will be happiness with the spiritual and practical growth of the servant. 8- Happiness with the repentance of the sinner and the coming back of those who were astray (the lost sheep): My son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry, (Luke 15:24), and happiness with the lost coin when it is found once more. 9- Happiness with service and evangelism: Because he is signed up under the banner of the King of kings and Lord of lords and the Lord uses him to save souls. How many souls were there who were close to being lost forever and our Lord used a particular servant for their salvation and accepted their repentance. 10- Happiness with the fulfilment of the commandment: Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4). It is a steadfast joy because of our faith in Christ our Saviour, Maker of all good. We are always happy, trusting in our Lord s care and His love for us, But I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. (John 16:22). 46 Servants' Contest 2016

50 11- Happiness in spite of the pain: Pain doesn t worry us nor the hard road, but with hope we are elevated to the eternal glory, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans :, For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. (2 Corinthians 1:5), But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ s sufferings, that when (is glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. Peter :. 12- Happiness with the house of the Lord: ) was glad when they said to me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. Psalms : Happiness in sharing our lives with the Lord: Rejoice in the Lord always. Again ) will say, rejoice! Philippians : Happiness in worshipping the Lord: Serve the LORD with gladness; come before (is presence with singing. Psalm : Happiness in meeting with the Lord, the angels and the Saints. 13- Happiness with the eternal reward: Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. (Luke 10:20). Then we will gain the reward in eternity for all that we offered in service. C) THE SIGNS OF A HAPPY LIFE 1- Inner peace: A happy heart pours out happiness in all areas of life. A smile on the face which expresses inner joy, the source of this inner peace is the strong connection to God who is the source of happiness. 2- Being prepared to sacrifice: all the time, in any place and under any circumstance. Does not get tired, lose hope or be self seeking but only for the sake of the service, Behold, He who keeps )srael shall neither slumber nor sleep. Psalms :. 3- Trust and steadfastness: Trust and be steadfast in the Lord and is never shaken no matter how high the storms are and always reciting, One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple. When they said to Athanasius, The world is against you Athanasius. He replied, And I am against the world. And more recently, our beloved Pope Shenouda III was never shaken by any problem no matter how hard it was because he relied on God. 4- Always living with the Lord: Spiritual practices for me are an amazing spring of joy, Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. (John 20:20), which means that seeing the Lord through living a holy life with Him gives us joy which makes us forget the pain of the cross and our struggles and pleases us with the joy of the resurrection. 47 Servants' Contest 2016

51 5- Resurrection in the Lord: in complete submission and surrender to the Holy Spirit through out life. The leadership of the Lord in our life is the secret to success and true happiness. 6-A call for joy, saying: Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him. (Psalms 34:8). For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me. (Philippians 2:18), finally my brethren, be joyful in the Lord for this is the sign of a true servant, because if we lack something how can we give it. D) JOY AS A FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Joy is a spiritual happiness which is a fruit of the work of the Holy Spirit in a person, especially in a person who is guided by the Holy Spirit. Here we differentiate between three words: 1- Pleasure: This word is derived from the word Please, which means making someone happy. Some examples of this are the pleasures of food, money and the flesh. They are all pleasures. Often we try and obtain these pleasures in the wrong way and sooner or later they turn into feelings of guilt. This is a painful feeling because the conscience suffers and regret takes over. This is why Christ our Lord told us: Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again. John :, as the water of sin is salty and does not satisfy a human being. When we keep repeating the same mistake it turns into a habit and the habit becomes part of our personality. It was once said, A character is a group of habits which walk on two feet. 2- Happiness: This word is derived from the word happens, which means taking place. Happiness is a good feeling but it is built on the events which occur around me. If they are happy events I become happy and if they are sad I in turn become sad. It is happiness which comes from our external surroundings, therefore, if I enjoy what is happening outside of me then I am happy, but if I do not like what is happening I am filled with sadness. 3-Joy: Here lies the big difference between happiness and joy: Happiness is built on the surrounding events but joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, which springs up from within and goes out. No matter what our external surroundings are I continue in my joy with the Lord as I trust that sadness will be turned into happiness and darkness will be transformed to light and even curses will be changed to blessings. 48 Servants' Contest 2016

52 Joy means that I face the world with Christ who is living inside me, and is the Holy Almighty who can do anything, whose wisdom is eternal, whose might is unlimited and whose love is unconditional. It is joy in spite of worry and the surrounding panic; it is the joyous feeling brought about by the divine care and the complete surrender to the Lord. Therefore, let us obtain joy. Joy is from God, with God and in God. From God meaning that he is the source of Joy. With God meaning that I am happy with Him personally and not with what He gives to me. In God meaning He transforms evil to good and in Him I trust that He is the maker of all good. My beloved, Our Christ is yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8), so as He was yesterday with us we trust that He will be with us in the future as He plans it, assures it and authorises blessings to all who serve Him. So do not be afraid of the future but leave it in His protective hands. 49 Servants' Contest 2016

53 7. A Study of the Epistle to the Philippians the open embrace of God. Joy is the foundation of all of life, and sorrow is contrary to life, engenders sin and clings to death. In our spiritual lives we do not know sorrow but experience holy sorrow. The sorrow that the Holy Spirit produces within us, so our souls are lead to Christ, is a constructive and edifying sorrow that inevitably ends with the joy of repentance and the return to Our church is a joyous church: the joy or repentance, the joy of faith, the joy of struggle and asceticism, the joy of prayer, the joy of the Eucharist and the joy of service. Our holy Book is joyous news to every soul, beginning with the annunciation of the birth of the Saviour, His incarnation, His redemption of us and His resurrection from the dead, through to His ascension and His second coming to catch us up into the clouds to live an eternal life with Him and to be at the pinnacle of our joy. And now my beloved. Let us study together our teacher Paul s epistle to the Philippians, the Epistle of Joy, that together we may discover the meaning of true joy and may hold the keys to a life of joy. The Epistle to the Philippians Author: Our teacher Paul the Apostle. Date: Around AD toward the end Paul s first imprisonment in Rome. Philippi: Greece was divided into two main provinces: Achaia in the south, the prominent cities of which are Corinth and Athens, and Macedonia in the north, the prominent cities of which are Philippi and Thessalonica. Philip II of Macedon (the father of Alexander the Great) established and fortified it in 356 BC. It was built along the land route from Europe to Asia and so was an important travel and trade centre. It was brought under Roman control in 168 BC and became a colony, which is a Roman settlement with special privileges. Augustus Caesar settled veterans of the civil wars there and gave them full privileges of Roman citizenship, including immunity from taxes, and so Philippi was nicknamed little Rome. Before the conversion of Philippi to the Christian faith, sorcery, fortune-telling and idolatry were widespread, the people of the city being under Satan s authority. 50 Servants' Contest 2016

54 The Church of Philippi The Apostle Paul established this church, the first in Europe, during his second missionary journey, amidst a strong wind of persecution. The beginning of this work was modest and was among a few women Paul had met at, the riverside, where prayer was customarily made. The first to accept the faith in this city was Lydia, a seller of purple. She and a few others formed the core of the church in Philippi. This church was exemplary in several ways. It was generous in its giving and thankful in all situations. The majority of the members of the Philippian church were gentile not Jewish. The Characteristics of the Epistle This epistle is a spiritual love letter to the church. It is full of ardent emotions and grateful acknowledgement of favours received, though it was written under the pressure of harsh circumstances since the apostle Paul was a prisoner. Despite these circumstances, it affirms the theme of joy: joy in prayer, joy in the gospel, joy in a life Christian fellowship, joy in the Apostle s sacrifice for the sake of this fellowship, joy in the Lord and joy in the church of Philippi s care for the Apostle. The Main Characters Epaphroditus: One of the elders of the church in Philippi who became sick during his visit to the apostle Paul. After recovering he returned to Philippi. His name is only mentioned in this epistle. Euodia and Syntyche: Sisters in Christ and St Paul s co-workers for the faith in the Lord Jesus. Many, in the church of Philippi, had believed through them. It appears that there was a disagreement between them. Timothy: )t is believed that Timothy became a Christian after Paul s first visit to Lystra. His mother and grandmother had taught him much and he had joined Paul on both the second and the third journeys. 51 Servants' Contest 2016

55 Epistle Outline 1. Joy in Pain (1:1-30) - Paul gives thanks to God (1:1-11) - Paul s suffering advances the Gospel : -18) - Paul s suffering glorifies the Lord : 9-26) - Paul s advice to the suffering believers (1:27-30) 2. Joy in Service (2:1-30) - Paul exhortation to humility (2:1-4) - The Lord Christ the foremost example of humility (2:5-16) - Paul as a model of humility (2:17-18) - Timothy as a model of humility (2:19-24) - Epaphroditus as a model of service and humility (2:25-30) 3. Joy in Faith (3:1-21) - A warning against dependence on the flesh (3:1-9) - Paul s exhortation to the knowledge of Christ : -16) - A warning against walking according to the flesh (3:17-21) 4. Joy in Giving (4:1-23) - Commendation of the giving of Euodia and Syntyche (4:1-3) - The Lord is near -7) - Advice to the people of Philippi (4:8-9) - Paul praises the Philippians for their care for him (4:10-20) - Greetings to all the saints of Philippi (4:21-23) My beloved young people: we are before an epistle rich with joy. Let us then delve into a thorough study of it to discover the many meanings of joy. This year we are all called to delight in it together. Chapter : Joy in Pain Greeting and opening prayer (1:1-11) In the opening of the chapter, the Apostle Paul introduces the most important topics he will write to them about. He expresses their standing with him by saying: I have you in my heart,... I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. The entire chapter is infused with these flowing warm and sacrificial emotions. We may also note that the epistle begins and ends with the subjects of the saints and grace. These continuously occupied the thoughts of our teacher Paul: the transcendent grace of 52 Servants' Contest 2016

56 Christ which He extends to every sinner, and which transforms and detaches him from the world, the saints, those whom this grace touched and so have been changed heart and mind so that their love abounded more and more in knowledge and all discernment. Three important subjects arise at this point: The verb to think, in Greek phorneo, and its derivates appears in this short epistle more than ten times (appearing only seven times in the Epistle to the Romans). To the Apostle Paul it was something crucial. Wise thinking is the essence of the Christian life, and in these opening verses, he clearly reveals that the love he had for them is in reality the Christian manner in which he thought about them and so says, just as it is right for me to think this of you all. This reinforce another matter, which is that of growth, for Christian thought does not appear overnight but rather grows steadily more and more. A believer must work toward maturity of thought so they may have the power of discernment that enables them to improve their conduct and prepare them for the day of Christ We note that in this opening prayer, there is affirmation of both the gospel and fellowship. )n our teacher Paul s prayer, thanksgiving for the Philippians is coupled with their fellowship in the gospel. The other significant subject mentioned is that of joy. These three subjects, along with that of his imprisonment and of Christ s glorification through him, are core to every epistle of our teacher Paul. In laying out the heart of his epistle, the apostle Paul writes of his own situation. When he writes For to me, to live is Christ, he means that every living moment he spends in the companionship and service of the Lord. Moreover, he means that he reveals Christ and lives in Him though his own personality and actions as he says in his epistle to the Galatians, it is no longer ) who live, but Christ lives in me. This is why, further on, he was able to command, The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do. Few are those Christian servants who may dare to utter such words, but Paul believed, as an apostle of Christ, that he had the distinction not only to speak about Christ but also live the life of Christ and what it entails of fortitude and humility. Two difficulties arise in this chapter: 1. The situation alluded to by the Apostle in the verses Philippians 1:12-18, for it appears that the church in Rome (where this epistle was written) was divided in their response to his imprisonment. Some were pleased about it for it afforded them the opportunity to preach the Gospel as they wished. This did not disturb Paul as is apparent from his words, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this ) rejoice. )t seems that the teachings of these preachers did not have any serious errors since the apostle Paul was always careful to defend the integrity of the word. 53 Servants' Contest 2016

57 2. Though it appeared that Paul did not know the outcome of his imprisonment, it was as though it was in his hands to choose between life and death. At the end, he says to the Philippians that he is confident he will remain. Perhaps the best explanation for this is that Paul had received confirmation, from the Holy Spirit, that this time his imprisonment would not end in his execution. Chapter : Joy in Service A life that is worthy of the Gospel (1:27-2:18) As in the preceding part, this also ends in joy. )t may be summarised in Paul s goading found in 1:27. His wish is that there is no disparity between what the believers in Philippi profess and how they live, that the Gospel of doctrine is that of life also. The Apostle refuse to allow the Philippians to suppose that he is in a worse condition than them and so says to them, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me, because suffering at the hand of an adversary is part and parcel of the discipleship to Christ. If we confess that we believe in the Gospel of Christ who, despite being equal to God the Father, emptied Himself and not only was incarnate, but also obeyed even to death, the death of the cross. We must then not look upon suffering as unavoidable but rather as a privilege, For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in (im, but also to suffer for (is sake. Unity was the crucial matter that compelled them to triumphantly confront their worldly enemies. It was imperative for them to struggle together in one spirit for the faith of the Gospel. Their faith in the one Gospel gave them a united front against the world. He goes on about unity, in the second chapter, when he returns to his treatise on the life of fellowship, as if to say to them that, when confronting the world, a genuine unity cannot be achieved unless there is first a complete unity of their hearts and minds in love, spirit and purpose, regardless of your outward circumstances. He is also saying that this unity cannot be realized unless mercy and affection abounds between them. This is the core of the first verse, which in turn culminates in the well-known hymn in verses 2:6-11. This mercy and affection cannot find a place in their hearts until they have believed in the gospel sung about in this hymn. Whether or not this was truly a hymn chanted by the first believers during their worship cannot be ascertained for sure, but what is certain is that Paul s style here is that of a hymn. Though it is not poetic, it is woven through the context of St Paul s words and his tone here seems to be unique expressing truths that are loftier than human perception. 54 Servants' Contest 2016

58 Two examples to emulate: Our teacher Paul writes to them concerning his position and plans, explaining to them the reason he had sent the epistle with Epaphroditus rather than with Timothy, but he takes from both practical examples of a life worthy of the gospel. Timothy sincerely cares for your state, and is not like the rest for he does not seek his own but the things which are of Christ Jesus, living the gospel and consecrating himself to its service. Equally exemplary was Epaphroditus, though in a differing manner. His unity with the Lord Christ did not manifest itself in the service of the gospel or his fellow believers, but in the sickness, he acquired while absent, for he imitated the Lord Jesus in that he endangered himself to the point of death. Like Christ, he also came back to life, and returned to his brethren the faithful in Philippi so they may rejoice at his restoration. Chapter : Joy in Faith Striving onwards with resoluteness (3:1 4:1) This passage deliberately begins and ends with the melody of joy, because the way of the cross that is depicted for us by our teacher Paul is also the way of joy (see Heb 12:2). Also not random is the fact that passage also begins and ends with the expression, my brethren, for in this passage Paul, once more, writes concerning himself, how he was exemplary in his choices and that they should emulate him in their lives saying, Brethren, join in following my example. After he placed before them Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples, he now sets himself up as one. The melody changes suddenly in the second verse of Chapter 3, when he warns them to beware of dogs. It is more they likely that the Philippians themselves had called them adversaries, but here he identifies them to demonstrate to them that the Christian life is entirely incompatible with the values embraced by these adversaries. It appears that they were Jews like those who opposed the apostle at Thessalonica which is close to Philippi. They believed they were God s chosen people, and this is what the apostle refers to as having confidence in the flesh. They supposed that they knew the way of righteousness, and that is absolute obedience to the law in every particular, but our teacher Paul describes it as pursuing righteousness, which is from the law, which has absolutely no bearing on the righteousness God grants through Jesus Christ. He then goes on to assure them that the only way to become a people of God is the way of self-denial. All that he had previously esteemed as a Jew, he now counted loss. The only way to attain righteousness is faith in Christ. 55 Servants' Contest 2016

59 One must then conform to His death in order to know the power of His resurrection. For St Paul, dying with Christ did not only mean suffering imprisonment and other afflictions for His sake, but also the forsaking of all the privileges he had as a Jew. It is easy for us to see how Paul was the subject of accusations, not only from the Jews but from the Jewish Christians also. However, our teacher Paul knew that salvation first and foremost was in Jesus Christ, and anything that may take His place should be thrown aside. To trust in one s Jewish heritage is to set one s mind on earthly things, but to place one s trust in Christ is to have one s heart in the heavenly city and to wait to be taken there. Chapter : Joy in Giving Meditation, joy and communion (3:1 4:1) The melody again changes suddenly to the extent that some view the epistle to the Philippians as a collection of letters. This, however, is a mistaken notion arising from a lack of understanding of Paul s manner of thinking, a lack of insight into the hidden thread which requires careful contemplation in order to be clarified. When the apostle turns to address Euodia and Syntyche, he in fact is not changing the subject, for the link between this and what came before it, is the same as the link between verses 1:27-30 and the first part of Chapter 2: how can the faithful confront the enemies of the cross of Christ when they are divided and in conflict with one another. If there is but one gospel, then the existence of contentions means that the gospel has not had its full impact. This is why he asks Euodia and Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord, and reminds them in the amazing unity in which they laboured together in the gospel. This accord that our teacher Paul solicits from them does not require total conformity of opinions in all matters but rather a unity of hearts in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the remainder of the epistle, he reveals what this unity means in practice. The intellect is crucial in this matter. In verses 4:4-9, the apostle Paul introduces a picture of the Christian life that leads to mindful and perceptive prayer, to the intentional orientation of thoughts to all that is true and to a life distinguished by two important traits: peace and joy, no matter the circumstances. (Verse 7 balances with the second part of verse 9 and verse 4 stands above this whole passage). This leads us to the final part in which the apostle Paul thanks the Philippians. Despite the new discord in one part of the church of Philippi, the church overall, had shown a united Christian mind. They had shown this unity to St Paul through their sharing with him in the gospel by sending him a gift with Epaphroditus. To them he writes, You have done well that you shared in my distress. 56 Servants' Contest 2016

60 Our thoughts then return to the wonderful hymn, because this communion emanates from the gospel of Christ who came from heaven to bear our sins. From the same also comes Paul s stance in whatever state: ) know how to be abased cf :, and ) know how to abound. Through our union with Christ, we will never be anxious about our needs. We will one with Him and others in abasement and elevation, as He wills, being assured that my God shall supply all your need according to (is riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 57 Servants' Contest 2016