Respected fathers and dear brothers, rejoice in the Lord, and rejoice always, as Uncle Paul also tells us.
We are in the most solemn period of our Holy Church, the Holy and Great Lent, a period of strict fasting, abstinence and abstinence, not only from foods that are material and meant for the belly-for the flesh, but also abstinence from sin which separates us from God.
The purpose of fasting, is, our union with Christ the God-man, denying our carnal mind, our flesh, as we strive to rid ourselves of our passions, to go up with him to Calvary, where the Lord shed his all-merciful blood for all men, without exception, and to be crucified with him.
Such is the life of the Christian who, ''abides in the church'', crucified, martyrdom full of tribulations, this is what the holy gospel teaches us.
Of course, the life of the Christian is not only sorrows but also many joys: "In the world there is sorrow, but I have overcome the world," says the Lord (Jn 16:33).
One of these joys is that we have an almighty God the Father, loving, compassionate and merciful, he is our ally and those who follow him with practical faith - repentance, are foretold from now on, the eternal rejoicing and joy promised in his unchanging and endless Kingdom, and those who fight him will taste of the cup of his wrath rightly.
Today, brethren, they have, ''sprung up'' many in the name of the Lord in the ''cloak'' of charity and benevolence, claiming that they are rightly preaching the truth or have found the truth, saying they are ''saved by faith'' and have no doubt of their salvation.
What true Christian, my brethren, is not concerned about his salvation?
He who is truly in the truth, and through his conscience and humility, understands his sinfulness in consciousness and is concerned. It is not enough to merely believe in order to be saved,
and the demons believe and they freak out.
''As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead''. (James 2:26) Works are also needed.
Therefore, he who is concerned about his salvation and doubts about it, with God's help, he also strives anxiously within the church with practical repentance - confession, proper spiritual guidance and Divine Communion, in order to gain it.
He who does not participate in the sacraments recognized by the Orthodox Church (7 in total) is not saved. This is what the one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church has been teaching us for 2000+ years and has not changed in any way, shape or form, and will not change for all eternity.
This is a proof to the theomachical heretics that we are in the true religion (James I 26,27) we rightly believe and worship the true God and Lord Jesus Christ as the God-Man, born, crucified and resurrected on the 3rd day. God is alive and immortal without time limits. Eternally!
We stand and hold strictly and intact and unchanging in matters of faith, doctrines and traditions.
"Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold fast to the traditions, let them be established either by word or by our letter..." (2 Thessalonians 2:15)
"But it is more pleasant to pass away heaven and earth, or to cast down one of the pillars of the law" Luke 16.13
Several "Orthodox" also appeared, citing the great Holy Fathers of our Holy Church, saying that in times of heresies we must apostatize from the bishops who preach heresy, they say well and so we ought to do, but to apostatize does not mean to be cut off from the body of the Church, nor does it mean to go outside of it. ..because the church is the only ark of salvation, once you fall off the ark into the ocean you are eaten by sharks, simple things my brothers.
Do not forget that many of them invoke the Fathers (St. Athanasius, Photios, Chrysostom, Theodore Stouditis, etc.), but yes, the millenarians and the Protestants also speak from the scriptures but they distort them, modify them to deceive the believers,
because they want their own followers NOT followers of Christ!
And one last thing, so as not to bore you and make your days longer...many of them come out publicly and say that because of ecumenism and the heresies that are even within the church, the Holy Sacraments of the Orthodox are invalid, before an ecumenical or local council or the deposition of the impious.
O blasphemy!!!!
There is no greater blasphemy, brethren (by orthodox otherwise), than that against the Holy Spirit, they are UNCLEAN and as the Evangelist and Apostle John says, they are ''antichrists'' (1 John 2:18)
and the Apostle Peter calls his heretics "children of the curse
(2 Peter 2:14).
One heresy and you are a heretic and you are automatically out of the church by yourself. You don't need to talk about finishing because you are already out of the church because of heresy.
Finishing is for those who stay in the church and build a firewall against heretics to protect the church and the truth of the gospel,sacred traditions and rules...
In the ''aspile unsullied unpolluted...'', there is the following in the petition to the Most Holy Theotokos:
... "She who sterilizes the airs... What's that?
To raise a wall of protection against the attacks of our enemies.
If there is a synod or if he is deposed and recognized and condemned as a heretic, a priest cannot celebrate the sacraments and minister because the gift of the priesthood has been taken away from him.
He is not automatically deposed by the Holy Spirit because he is impious; that is blasphemy.
Here I answer these "grievous wolves" with the 11th chapter of John (verses 45-54) which says that, The High Priest Caiaphas, though he was ungodly and antichristian, PROPHETIZED that the Lord was to be put to death not only for the nation but also to gather into one flock the scattered children of God. He prophesied because he had priesthood, he had the Holy Spirit, God enlightened him and he spoke these words.
Hey, anyone who doubts the Evangelist - Apostle of Love John is a heretic and be damned!
"Thou canst not solve the Scriptures". The Bible cannot be annulled, says the Lord. Not even by one.
I will quote for them, what Paul my beloved Apostle Paul says, which some heretics challenge him and say how: "Paul says that his epistles are not holy scripture nor are they inspired by God"... So let them open to the letter to the Romans in chap. Let's open Romans chapter 9 v. 1 and let these ignorant people see what Paul, the Great Apostle to the Gentiles, says there.
"I speak the truth in Christ, I lie not, I confess my conscience in the Holy Spirit"... Is Paul lying? Is the Holy Spirit lying? Let there be no mistake. The Scriptures are inspired and infallible. God does not lie. (Hebrews D 12-13)
But, "You are a lying man," says King David.
Good stage, my brothers, good repentance and endurance in your struggle.
The grace of your Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit with you all. Amen.
Romans chapter 16 verse 16. 17-20
Now I beseech you, brethren, to put away the divisions and scandals, in spite of the doctrine which ye have learned, and to depart from them. For such do not work in our Lord Jesus Christ, but work in their own belly, and deceive the hearts of the locusts by their oracles and blessings. For your obedience is to all men. I rejoice in you. And I would have you wise in the good, and unwise in the evil. And may the God of peace crush Satan under your feet at once. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Interpretation:
Now I beseech you, brethren, beware of those who create divisions and scandals contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them.
Such men certainly do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by cajoling and oratory they deceive the souls of the unbelievers. The fame of your faith has certainly reached everyone. Therefore I am glad for you.
But I want you to be clever to the good (so that your goodness may not be exploited by the subtle), but unadulterated and pure as to the evil. And may the mighty God crush Satan under your feet quickly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
