To make ready a people prepared for the Lord." (Lk 1: 17) How beautiful are these words uttered by the angel of the Lord when announcing the birth of John the Baptist: "He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah …

The importance of ministry: St. Paul the Apostle, talking about the various gifts of the Spirit, said, "… As God has dealt to each one a measure of faith … according to the grace that is given us …" ; "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."

God is the main cause and goal of ministry, for He calls for it and works in it. However, so many ministers handle many subjects but mention nothing about God. They do not introduce Him to the hearts and minds of people! Their words are mere knowledge about things far from God, perhaps on virtues, history, famous characters, dogma, rituals, but in all that God is not apparent.1. Ministry reveals God's

Last week we discussed some human measures for the success of ministry, which by analysis proved to be false. Today we shall speak about the aspects of power in ministry. The importance of the ministry lies in what it implies of power and depth, of love and sacrifice, and of influence on people

God's measures differ from people's, for God tests hearts and minds and knows the truth about everything. He alone can evaluate each one's ministry and knows how effective or routine it is, and the reality or the outward bearing of ministry. No doubt, in eternity there will be wonderful things never imagined. We may find there ministers whom we have never heard about!! And perhaps some of the ministers we know at present will not be there!! Indeed,

God is always working and we also have to work, as the Lord Christ –glory to Him- says in (Jn 5: 17) "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." He gives us a good example in continual and unceasing work for God's Kingdom. Therefore St. Paul the Apostle said to his disciple Timothy, "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." (2 Tim 4: 2)

God works always for the salvation and restoration of mankind. He works through and by His spiritual ministers. Who then is such a spiritual minister by whom and through whom God works? It is that minister who cares about his own eternal life, not forgetting himself in the ministry or making of it the object of his focus for which he may sacrifice everything, even his spirituality. Whereas the Scripture teaches us that salvation of oneself should be in the first place, for St. Paul the Apostle says to

A minister is supposed to have certain spiritual attributes, foremost of which is humbleness, an important attribute as the Lord Christ affirmed, saying to His disciples, "Learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart." (Mt 11: 29) The lord could have concentrated on many virtues that characterize His

Ministry is not words, but "spirit and life" (Jn 6), for a spiritual minister has the spirit which he turns into life in his disciples. They derive this life from him; they learn it from his life, and they imitate his character, so this life penetrates their souls, hearts, and minds. The young people may not understand what the minister says, and if they understand they often forget. But they derive life from him; learn from his way of dealing and speaking, from his conduct, his looks, signals, and behavior. They pick all this up from him!

8.Ministry is a debt we owe: Ministry is part of the big debt due by us to the church that raised us, taught us, and guided us to the way of God, and gave us the Spirit for ministry. We should serve the church as she served us. Ministry even is a debt we owe God Himself who loved us all such love and gave us His knowledge and taught us His ways. We have to love Him in turn and to show this love to His children whom He left in our charge.

Wonderful indeed was the Lord’s humbleness when He emptied Himself and became incarnate. He descended into this world unnoticed, quietly and stealthily. He set no date for His coming, so no one was there to receive Him, and no preparations were made for His coming, neither on Earth nor in the Heavens. And yet, that unknown day was the greatest in the history of

Ministry is not mere teaching, otherwise it will be just an intellectual work, nor a minister a mere teacher or a bearer of knowledge which he conveys to the ears and minds of students! What then is ministry? 1.Ministry is love: It is love filling the heart of the minister towards God and His kingdom and towards people, especially the little. Such a minister loves God and desires that everybody loves Him, and loves people and desires

So many people flee from the words "Fear of God", seeing that such words are not suitable for the covenant of grace which we live. On what bases do they build their claim? 1.They say: why should I fear God while He accepted Augustine who had been ungodly for a long time? God also accepted Moses the Black who was cruel and a murderer, and accepted Mary the Copt who was in deep filthiness and corruption. He likewise accepted Mary Magdalene

Our problem is that we think that we stand before God only in prayer or in worship in general.Actually we are in God’s presence all the time. That is why Elijha the prophet said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand…” (1 Kgs 18: 15), though he was not standing in prayer, but was talking with Obadiah. He felt always that he was before God.It is also to think that we are before God in the church, before the

St. Mar Ishak said, 'Fear of God precedes love of God'; 'Fear is God's staff that leads us to the love of God'; 'We cannot cross the river without a ship, and likewise nobody can cross unto the love of God without repentance and fear. Repentance is the ship, fear is the captain, and love is the harbor of peace and honor where those who are

Many people turn away from the fear of God and hold to love, without knowing what fear is, what love is, or what the relation between them is! In fact it is good to hold to the love of God, but to reach it we have to start with fear.The fear of God is the beginning of the way, whereas the end of the way is love. So we cannot proceed on the way from its end!

To attain to the fear of God, try to practice the following exercises: Put God before your eyes always, and remember that all your works are revealed before Him.He sees and hears whatever you do or say, as St. Macarius the Great says, 'know that whatever we do is bare and revealed to Him, and nothing is hidden from Him.'And St.Isaiah the anchorite says:When you wake up every morning remember that you will give an answer about your works. This will keep you from sinning, and the

The Fear of God to be attained through Awe & Respect for the Holies When you stand for prayer, remember Him before whom you stand: the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is the awesome God, before whom the angels stand in fear, the Cherubim and the Seraphim with two wings cover their faces and with two they cover their legs, and the twenty-four elders fall before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, "You are

If a person gets used to revere the elderly, such as the parents, the teachers, the old relatives, the father priests, the seniors, he will certainly attain the fear of God who is the Greatest of all. Indeed, for if a person does not revere his father whom he sees, how can he fear God whom he does not see?! Jacob the Patriarch, for instance, mentions the fear of Isaac his father (Gen 31: 42), therefore who has such fear, reverence and respect cannot sin before or against him whom he reveres and respects.

Strict examining of oneself, Recalling the Lord's words "I know your works" (Rev 2, 3), Repentance and humbleness, lead to the fear of God A person who is not aware of the seriousness of his own sins, will lose the fear of God, but who is meticulous in examining himself will be aware of his own sins and their seriousness, and the fear of God will never quit his heart.We can attain the fear of God if we examine ourselves with respect to

In the Hours (Agpeya) Prayers, the Psalms, and the Church Rituals The Holy Church teaches and trains us in the fear of God through the Hours Prayers (Agpeya), especially in the Compline, Veil, and Midnight Prayers. • In the Veil Prayer, we say, "O Lord, how awful is Your judgment! People stand in awe, angels stand ready, books are opened, works are revealed, and thoughts are examined! What condemnation shall I