First, O spiritual father, you must become a disciple of Christ and be instructed well in His commandments and then the sacraments, and only thus undertake to teach others. First you must submit to follow a spiritual father, who will lead you on the path leading to Christ, and you must find Christ, or rather Christ must find you, and you must mark well the turnings and sign posts on the path that leads you there, and you must see Christ by the grace of the Holy Spirit, without straying into delusion, and only then guide others to Christ. First you must be illumined by the true light, and only thereafter bring others to this light. First you must be liberated yourself, and only thus undertake to liberate others.

+St. Symeon the New Theologian

James 5:4
Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, cries: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.

#Break_Free #Conform_Not #Discerning #Worldly_Matters

WARNING
Risk of losing access to Telegram and your entire history..

For the ones who are still misjudging and continue to use Apple products, especially the iPhone

Apple will be deleting the telegram app for you. Yes they can do that. Luckily a patch up remedy exisits. Follow the steps shown in the image above.


Proper remedy, ditch apple and opt for freedom. Android with GrapheneOs is the way out. Learn more here.

🚨BREAKING - Telegram announced that Apple will remove the Telegram app from their phones without their joint notice. Telegram announced that to prevent this, apply to mentioned settings.

James 5:5-6
You have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; you have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 6. You have condemned and killed the just; and he does not resist you.

James 5:7
Be patient therefore, brothers, to the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

"What are you saying?!
It is not your duty to read Scripture because you are distracted by innumerable cares?
On the contrary, it is your duty more than those others, more than the monks; they do not have such need of help as do you who live in the midst of such cares. You need treatment all the more, because you are constantly under such blows and are wounded so often.
The reading of Scripture is a great defense against sin. Ignorance of the Scripture is a great misfortune, a great abyss. Not to know anything from the word of God is a disaster. This is what has given rise to heresies, to immorality; it has turned everything upside down.”

+ St John Chrysostom

James 5:8-9
Be you also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws near. 9. Grudge not one against another, brothers, lest you be condemned: behold, the judge stands before the door.

#Fun

😂

“How was your experience on Earth?“

James 5:10
Take, my brothers, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

#Salvation #Carry_Your_Cross

James 5:11
Behold, we count them happy which endure. You have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

"Let not a heretic seize you because he can cite some examples from the Scriptures, nor let he who seems learned arrogate them. The devil, too, uses the evidence of the Scriptures (Lk. 4:10-11), yet not in order to teach, but to entrap and deceive."

+ St Ambrose of Milan

#Salvation #Dont_Conform

Mean what you say. Swear by nothing

James 5:12
But above all things, my brothers, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yes be yes; and your no, no; lest you fall into condemnation.

“If any Roman soldier serving overseas is caught favoring the barbarians and the Persians, not only is he in danger but so also is everyone who was aware of how this felt and failed to make this fact known to the general. Since you are the army of Christ, be overly careful in searching to see if anyone favoring an alien faith has mingled among you, and make his presence know - not so that we may put him to death as those generals did, nor that we may punish him or take our vengeance upon him, but that we may free him from his error and ungodliness and make him entirely our own….

Tell me this. If a man were to have slain your son, would you endure to look upon him, or accept his greeting? Would you not shun him as a wicked demon, as the devil himself? They slew the Son of your Lord; do you have the boldness to enter with them under the same roof? After he was slain he heaped such honor upon you that he made you his brother and coheir. But you dishonor him so much that you pay honor to those who slew him on the cross, that you observe with them the fellowship of the festivals, that you go to their profane places, enter their unclean doors, and share in the tables of demons…”

+ St. John Chrysostom

#Apologetics #Original_Faith #Knowing_Jesus #Prophecy

James 5:13-14
Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 14. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

Saint John Climacus in “The Ladder of Divine Ascent defines a Christian as “an imitator of Christ in thought, word and deed, as far as this is humanly possible, and he believes rightly and blamelessly in the Holy Trinity”|.

“Do whatever good you may. Speak evil of not one. Rob no one. Tell no lie. Despise no one and carry no hate. Do not separate yourself from the church assemblies. Show compassion to the needy. Do not be a cause of scandal to anyone. Stay away from the bed of another…. If you do all of this, you will not be far from the kingdom of heaven” (Step 1).