Fr. Barnabas attended Holy Cross Seminary from Fall of 2007 to Spring of 2010, graduating with an MDiv, and was then assigned to be the parish priest at SS. Raphael, Nicholas, & Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA.

Fr. Barnabas received his recognition al,ong with Dr. Michael Billys, who was the Hellenic College Alumni of the Year.

Fr. Barnabas received his recognition from His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros at the Alumni Dinner on May 13.

While at the Seminary, Fr. Barnabas visited with two seminarians from his parish, Aristotle Theophilis and Photios Benning, both finishing their freshman year.

Christ is risen!

Our age has confused noise with conversation. We have countless platforms, endless commentary, and constant exchange of opinions. And yet the lost art of true dialogos (real, honest, humble dialogue between people who actually want to understand one another) seems harder to find than ever.

We are quick to label and dismiss. We are slow to listen and learn. We retreat into tribes that confirm what we already believe, then call our agreement with one another “community.” But community is something far deeper and far more challenging than mere “agreement.”

“Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them.”

The Resurrection has not given us a faith that avoids difficult conversations. It has given us a faith that knows how to have them. The early Church did not split over the question of Gentile inclusion. They gathered. They dialogued. They listened. They prayed. And the Holy Spirit led them to a unity richer than the easy agreement they could have manufactured by keeping silent.

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Today is Thursday of the Fifth Week after Pascha. We continue to witness the consequences of the Resurrection in the readings from Acts. Today, we see the explosive growth of the Gentile mission and the Church's very first major controversy.

Today’s Lesson: Acts 14:20-28; 15:1-4

In those days, Paul went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconion and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they believed. Then they passed through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia. And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia; and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled. And when they arrived, they gathered the church together and declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they remained no little time with the disciples. But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, reporting the conversion of the Gentiles, and they gave great joy to all the brethren. And when they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them.

The Apostles Paul and Barnabas have been racking up Gentile converts at a remarkable pace.

The Holy Spirit is opening a door of faith that the Jewish believers had not anticipated. Kinda like all the new converts to Orthodoxy today.

And immediately, this success creates a controversy. Some Jewish Christians from Judea began teaching that Gentile converts must first become Jewish, including circumcision, before they can become Christian. Paul and Barnabas disagree. The text tells us there was “no small dissension and debate.” And what happens next reveals the genius of the Church led by the Spirit.

What Can We Take From This?

First, salvation always happens in community, never in isolation.

Notice what Paul and Barnabas do throughout this passage. They preach the Gospel and make disciples. Then they appoint elders in every church. Then they return to Antioch and gather the whole church together to report. When the controversy arises, they don’t strike out on their own to solve it. They go up to Jerusalem to consult with the Apostles and elders.

This is not a faith of isolated individuals figuring things out alone. This is a Body, a community, a spiritual family that bears one another’s burdens and works through challenges together.

Our age tells us that faith is private. That spirituality is what we do alone. That we don’t need other people to interpret Scripture for us or to walk with us in our discipleship.

The early Church demonstrates the opposite. The Faith is communal because we are saved into a Body, not into isolated spiritual experiences. Christ did not establish individual contracts with each believer. He established a Church. And it is in the messy, sometimes difficult life of that Church that we are formed and saved.

The marathon of faithfulness is not run solo. It is run together, with all the joys and frictions that real community always involves.

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Next, healthy controversy can produce holier outcomes than easy agreement.

Look at what the controversy in today’s passage actually accomplishes. The argument over Gentile inclusion does not split the Church. It drives the Church to its first great Council in Jerusalem. There the Apostles gather, listen to each other, pray together, and discern what “seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us.”

The fruit of this controversy is staggering. The conversion of the Roman Empire. The permanent transformation of human civilization. None of that would have happened if the Church had either suppressed the disagreement or split over it.

Most of us instinctively flee conflict. We confuse peace with the absence of disagreement, when biblical peace is something far richer. The Church does not pretend conflict isn’t there. The Church faces conflict in love and lets the Holy Spirit do something through it that easy agreement could never have accomplished.

When tension surfaces in your parish council. When the difficult conversation looms with a family member. When the Church speaks on a matter you find challenging. When a brother or sister offers a perspective you would rather not hear.

These moments are invitations, not obstacles. The Holy Spirit often speaks most clearly through the very disagreements we wish we could avoid. Sit with the discomfort. Listen carefully. Pray honestly. The Risen Lord may be doing something through the friction that you could not have produced any other way.

Finally, real dialogue requires both the willingness to listen and the courage to stand on what cannot be moved.

There is a beautiful balance in today’s reading. Paul and Barnabas listen. They go up to Jerusalem rather than dismissing the concerns of the Judean teachers. They take the question seriously enough to convene the entire Apostolic Council.

But they also stand firm on what cannot be moved. The Gentiles are saved through faith in the Risen Christ. The Holy Spirit has confirmed this through the conversions and the witness of God’s grace. They are willing to discuss everything that can be discussed, but they will not surrender the central truth of the Gospel.

This is the wisdom we need today. We must always be willing to talk. We must always be willing to listen. We must always be willing to consider whether the Holy Spirit is saying something through a perspective we initially resisted.

But there is also a place where dialogue must come to an honest end. There are foundations that the Church cannot move because they are not ours to move. The Resurrection is not negotiable. The Person of Christ is not negotiable. The teachings handed down from the Apostles are not ours to revise.

The mature Orthodox Christian holds both truths together. Always ready to converse. Never willing to compromise the unchanging Faith.

St. Isidore the Martyr of Chios

Today we commemorate St. Isidore the Martyr of Chios. He was a Roman soldier in the third century, serving in the imperial army during the reign of Emperor Decius. Stationed on the island of Chios, he was discovered to be a Christian when he refused to participate in the pagan sacrifices required of all soldiers.

Brought before his commanding officer, Numerian, Isidore was urged to renounce Christ. He refused. He was tortured cruelly, his tongue eventually cut out so he could not continue confessing his faith aloud. Yet tradition tells us that even without his tongue, he continued to glorify God audibly through the power of the Holy Spirit. He was finally beheaded for his witness around 250 AD.

St. Isidore’s tomb on Chios became a place of pilgrimage and many miracles. His body was later translated to Constantinople and then to Venice, where it remains to this day.

St. Isidore teaches us where dialogue ends, and witness begins. He could discuss many things. He could converse respectfully with his fellow soldiers. He could even endure their questions and pressure with patience. But when the demand to deny Christ came, the dialogue was over. The foundation could not be moved. He gave his life rather than compromise the unchanging Faith. His death became a witness more powerful than any conversation.

Your Response Today

Here is one practice for today. The next time you face a difficult disagreement, whether in your family, your parish, or in your own thoughts about a controversial issue, pause and ask:

“Am I refusing to listen to something the Holy Spirit might be saying? Or am I being asked to compromise something that cannot be moved?”

Both are real possibilities. The Risen Lord wants us to discern between them.

Then pray simply:

“Lord Jesus Christ, give me the humility to listen and the courage to stand. Lead me by Your Spirit into the unity that only You can create.”

We are not saved as isolated individuals. We are saved together. The marathon of faithfulness is run in community, with all its difficult conversations, unexpected friendships, and necessary debates.

Being Orthodox on Purpose means embracing the messy, life-giving work of being saved together with the people God has placed in your life, including the difficult conversations that lead us deeper into Christ!

A note from Fr. Barnabas: This devotional uses our refined format. If you find these changes helpful, or if you have suggestions, please let me know. Your feedback shapes this ministry.

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May the Risen Lord give you the patience to listen well, the courage to stand firm, and the joy of being saved into His Body, the Church.

P.S. Holy Martyr Isidore of Chios, you witnessed to the Risen Christ even after your tongue was cut out, refusing to compromise the unchanging Faith and sealing your testimony with your blood. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.

Please pray for Fr. Barnabas as he travels to Merriville, IN to speak at SS. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church for their May Parish Retreat!

Our New Video Project still needs your help.

“The Journey Continues…” Project: creating a teaching series on how to practice your Faith after you convert to Orthodoxy. Topics will include going to confession, wise fasting practices, setting up your prayer corner at home, and more!

Would you consider a Special Gift to Faith Encouraged for this Project?

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Fr. Barnabas Powell is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA. He is also the founder of Faith Encouraged Ministries and produces the Faith Encouraged Daily Devotional on Substack. Watch the Faith Encouraged YouTube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@FaithEncouragedTV

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Christ is risen!

There is a particular kind of teaching that has gone out of fashion in our age. We have grown so accustomed to soft suggestions and gentle nudges that we have nearly forgotten what it sounds like when someone speaks an unpopular truth with conviction and love.

Our cultural moment prefers nuance. Endless “trigger warnings.” The careful avoidance of any statement that might disturb someone. We are surrounded by voices that hedge, qualify, and footnote everything until nothing solid remains. And the result is a kind of spiritual weakness where no one is sure of anything anymore.

“Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.”

The word “exhort” or “exhortation” appears thirty-six times in the New Testament and comes from Latin roots meaning “thoroughly encourage.” An exhortation is not a suggestion. It is a speech meant to move people to act immediately, often by declaring an unpopular truth that nevertheless must be spoken. “The bus is coming! Move now!” That is an exhortation. And the Resurrection demands this kind of speech from those who proclaim it, especially since this message means life or death!

Today is Wednesday of the Fifth Week after Pascha. We have crossed the midpoint of the Paschal season and are moving toward Ascension and Pentecost. The Church gives us today the great exhortation of St. Paul to the synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia.

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Today’s Lesson: Acts 13:13-24

In those days, Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem; but they passed on from Perga and came to Antioch of Pisidia. And on the sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.” So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: “Men of Israel, and you that fear God, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. And for about forty years he bore with them in the wilderness. And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance, for about four hundred and fifty years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king; and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king; of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ Of this man’s posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. Before his coming John had preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.”

Notice the request the synagogue rulers make. “If you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.”

They are not asking for a debate.

They are not asking for a panel discussion.

They are asking for a word that will move the people to act. Paul stands and delivers exactly that.

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What Can We Take From This?

First, true exhortation flows from love that values others more than approval.

Paul did not stand up that day to be liked. He stood up to tell the truth that would either save or break the people in front of him. He rehearsed the entire history of Israel and concluded with the unequivocal declaration that Jesus is the promised Messiah they had been waiting for.

He did not soften the message. He did not couch it in language designed to make everyone comfortable. He did not flinch.

This is what genuine love sounds like when it has something at stake. It is willing to be uncomfortable, willing to be misunderstood, willing to be rejected, because the truth matters more than the speaker’s reputation.

Most of us have been on both sides of this. We have been the ones who needed to hear an unpopular truth from someone who loved us enough to say it. And we have been the ones who failed to speak when we should have spoken because we feared the discomfort.

The exhortation we hesitate to deliver to our adult children. The honest word our spouse needs from us. The confrontation our friend has earned through a destructive pattern. The truth about ourselves we keep avoiding because facing it would require change.

Real love sometimes requires the courage to exhort. The bus is coming. Move now.

Next, the Resurrection makes some truths simply not open to debate.

Paul ends his exhortation with a declaration: “Of this man’s posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised.”

He does not invite the synagogue to consider this as one possibility among many. He does not present the Resurrection as a pious myth or a metaphor. He declares it as a historical fact that demands a response.

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This is the scandal of Normal Orthodoxy. We continue to insist that the Resurrection of Jesus is both historical and actual. The body crucified on Great and Holy Friday came out of the grave on Pascha morning with a real beating heart and breathing lungs. The physical Jesus, born of the Theotokos, crucified, and buried, is in fact and in truth still alive.

This message disturbs those who would prefer Christianity to be just another philosophical system among many. The Resurrection means our modern certainties have a glaring exception. It means Jesus is not just a wise teacher to be admired but the Risen Lord to be worshipped. It means everything He taught is not optional philosophy but actual wisdom meant for everyone.

As we move toward Pentecost, the Church refuses to make this message palatable to those who need to be confronted by their too-small understanding of God’s universe.

Finally, our own willingness to receive exhortation reveals the condition of our heart.

Here is the more uncomfortable question. Forget for a moment whether you are willing to give an exhortation. Are you willing to receive one?

When the priest preaches a homily that touches a sensitive area in your life, do you bristle and dismiss it? When a trusted spiritual father gently names a passion you have been protecting, do you defend yourself or actually listen? When the Scripture readings during Liturgy seem to address you specifically, do you receive the word as exhortation or filter it as something meant for someone else?

The mark of a maturing Orthodox Christian is the willingness to be exhorted. To recognize that some truths come not as suggestions but as urgent calls to action. To submit to teaching even when it disturbs us, because the Holy Spirit often speaks through the very disturbance.

The proud heart cannot receive exhortation. The humble heart welcomes it as a gift.

St. Glykeria the Virgin-Martyr of Heraclia

Today we commemorate the holy Virgin-Martyr Glykeria of Heraclia. She was the daughter of a Roman official in the second century, raised in the Christian Faith despite the dangers it brought. When persecution came under the reign of Emperor Antoninus, the local Roman governor, Sabinus, called for a public sacrifice to the pagan god Jupiter. Glykeria, then a young woman, came to the temple, but instead of offering a sacrifice, she boldly declared her faith in Christ and prayed to God to overthrow the idol. The statue of Jupiter shattered and fell to the ground.

Sabinus had her tortured. She was beaten, imprisoned, and starved. Through all of it, she received strength from God. She prayed for her tormentors. Eventually, she was martyred for her witness, sealing with her blood the exhortation she had spoken in the temple. Her relics worked many miracles, and her tomb in Heraclia became a place of pilgrimage.

St. Glykeria gave the most powerful kind of exhortation, the exhortation of a life laid down for Christ. She did not soften her message. She did not flinch. Her witness made the truth of the Resurrection unavoidable to those who watched her die. Like St. Paul in the synagogue, she trusted that some truths must be declared without compromise, even when the cost is great.

Your Response Today

Here is one practice for today. When you find yourself listening to a homily, reading a difficult passage of Scripture, or sitting with words a trusted Christian has spoken to you, pause and ask:

“Am I receiving this as exhortation, or am I filtering it away?”

Then pray simply:

“Lord Jesus Christ, give me a heart willing to be moved by Your truth, even when it disturbs me.”

The Risen Lord still speaks to His people. Not always in dramatic visions, but often in the steady exhortations of His Church. The question is whether we have ears willing to hear and hearts willing to act.

Being Orthodox on Purpose means receiving the exhortations of the Church as urgent calls to action rather than optional opinions you may take or leave!

A note from Fr. Barnabas: This devotional uses our refined format. If you find these changes helpful, or if you have suggestions, please let me know. Your feedback shapes this ministry.

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May the Risen Lord give you both the courage to speak the truth in love and the humility to receive it from those who love you in Him.

P.S. Holy Virgin-Martyr Glykeria of Heraclia, your life and death proclaimed an exhortation that the world could not ignore, declaring with your blood the truth of the Risen Christ. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.

Our New Video Project still needs your help.

“The Journey Continues…” Project: creating a teaching series on how to practice your Faith after you convert to Orthodoxy. Topics will include going to confession, wise fasting practices, setting up your prayer corner at home, and more!

Would you consider a Special Gift to Faith Encouraged for this Project?

Every gift is doubled up to $25,000

Your Tax-deductible gift can be made here - https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/QFKQ4GL6MQBBQ

Fr. Barnabas Powell is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA. He is also the founder of Faith Encouraged Ministries and produces the Faith Encouraged Daily Devotional on Substack. Watch the Faith Encouraged YouTube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@FaithEncouragedTV

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Christ is risen!

Story and after story. Article after article. Talking head after talking head on TV and Cable and social media. They all say the same thing. We really are in a divided society.

Everybody seems to be picking sides, arguing and debating over politics, religion, and even which “science” to follow.

But the truth is, we are witnessing the crumbling of the false notion that all we need to do is reason everything out, and we can fix the world. We are coming to the final end of the foolish pride of mankind’s intellectual abilities. And people are really lost and wandering in a sea of competing ideas and philosophies.

But what about dumping all the rhetorical arguing and learning to be silent, and listen to timeless Truth?

“Will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?”

That’s the question St. Paul asks the false prophet in today’s reading. It’s also a question worth asking ourselves. Truth is not an ideology we defend. Truth is a Person we follow. And the path to Him is straight, even when the world insists on making it crooked.

Today is Tuesday of the Fifth Week after Pascha. We continue to witness the consequences of the Resurrection in our readings from the Book of Acts. Today, we see the Holy Spirit launching the great missionary work of Sts. Barnabas and Paul, and we encounter their first significant opponent.

Today’s Lesson: Acts 12:25; 13:1-12

In those days, Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, bringing with them John whose other name was Mark. Now in the Church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet, named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) withstood them, seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith. But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

This passage marks one of the most consequential moments in the history of the Church.

The Holy Spirit calls the Church at Antioch to set apart Barnabas and Paul for the mission that will eventually reach the entire Mediterranean world. And almost immediately, they encounter opposition. Not from a Roman official, but from a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus, also known as Elymas the magician.

What Can We Take From This?

First, the Holy Spirit always calls the Church to mission, and that calling comes through worship and fasting.

Notice how this missionary journey begins. The Church at Antioch is “worshipping the Lord and fasting.” There is no strategic planning meeting. There is no demographic analysis. There is no marketing campaign. There is worship, and there is fasting.

Disciplined and Focused Purpose produces the sober soul that can hear the Holy Spirit.

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In that posture of worship and fasting, the Holy Spirit speaks. “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

This pattern matters profoundly. The Spirit can’t be heard by noisy souls running in a thousand directions. The Spirit is heard when souls have made themselves available through the sober disciplines of worship and fasting.

When was the last time you fasted from the steady stream of voices and noise and social media that fills your day? When was the last time the wisdom of the Faith was allowed to quiet your soul so that you can listen to the Lord?

Next, false prophets always try to keep us from hearing the simple Gospel by complicating everything.

Look at what Elymas does. The proconsul Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, has summoned Barnabas and Paul because he wants to hear their message. But Elymas withstands them, “seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith.”

He doesn’t try to deny the Gospel directly. He just tries to muddy the waters. Add complications. Introduce alternative explanations. Make the simple message complicated enough that the proconsul gives up and walks away.

This is the timeless tactic of every false prophet. They don’t usually attack the Truth head-on. They make it crooked. They tangle it up. They introduce so many caveats and conspiracies and competing claims that the soul becomes exhausted trying to sort through it all.

Our age is suffocating under this kind of crookedness. Every day brings a new theory to absorb, a new outrage to process, a new ideological framework to evaluate. We become so busy navigating the crooked paths that we lose sight of the simple, straight path that is Jesus Christ Himself.

Paul’s words to Elymas are also a question for us. Are we making crooked the straight paths of the Lord in our own lives? Are we filling our minds with so much noise that we cannot hear the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life?

Finally, when truth is spoken with authority, the false witness is exposed, and the seeker finds the way.

Paul does not engage Elymas in a long debate. He does not match conspiracy theory for conspiracy theory. He does not try to win the argument intellectually. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he simply names what is true. “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?”

And immediately the false prophet is blinded. He goes about seeking people to lead him by the hand. The very thing he was doing to others (leading them away from the truth) becomes his own condition.

But notice what happens to Sergius Paulus. “Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.”

When truth is spoken plainly, and the crooked paths are exposed for what they are, the seeker finds the Way. The proconsul wasn’t astonished at Paul’s eloquence. He was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. The straight path became visible because the crookedness had been removed.

This is what Normal Orthodoxy offers a confused world. Not another competing ideology. Not another political position. Not another conspiracy theory or argument. Just the Person of Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, walked out faithfully in the lives of His people.

St. Epiphanios, Bishop of Cyprus

Today we commemorate St. Epiphanios, Bishop of Salamis on the island of Cyprus, the very island where today’s Gospel reading takes place. Born around 310 AD in Palestine, Epiphanios spent his early years among the desert fathers in Egypt, learning the disciplines of prayer, fasting, and ascetic struggle. He returned to Palestine, founded a monastery, and eventually was elected Bishop of Salamis in Cyprus in 367 AD.

Epiphanios was renowned throughout the Christian world for his learning and his uncompromising defense of the Orthodox Faith against the heresies of his time. He wrote a major work called the Panarion (meaning “Medicine Chest”), which cataloged and refuted the various heresies threatening the Church. He understood that crooked paths were everywhere and that the Faithful needed clear teaching to recognize the straight path.

But Epiphanios was not merely an intellectual defender of doctrine. He was known for his mercy, his prayers for healing, and his deep humility. He fell asleep in the Lord around 403 AD on a ship returning to Cyprus.

St. Epiphanios teaches us what Paul teaches us in today’s reading. The straight path of Orthodoxy is not maintained by argument alone but by lives shaped through worship, fasting, prayer, and unwavering fidelity to the Person who is Truth Himself.

Your Response Today

Here is one practice for today.

Sometime, when you find yourself pulled into a crooked conversation, whether online, in your own thoughts, or in conversation with someone else, pause and ask yourself this question:

“Is this making the path to Christ straighter or more crooked in my heart?”

If the answer is “more crooked,” step back. Stop scrolling. Close the article. Excuse yourself from the conversation. Return to the simple, straight reality that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, and that He alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

The straight path is not complicated. But it requires us to refuse the constant invitations to wander into crookedness.

Being Orthodox on Purpose means refusing every invitation to make crooked the straight path that leads to Christ, no matter how interesting or urgent the crookedness may seem!

A note from Fr. Barnabas: This devotional uses our refined format launched yesterday. Thank you for journeying with me through this transition. If you find these changes helpful, or if you have suggestions, please let me know. Your feedback shapes this ministry.

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May the Risen Lord straighten every crooked place in your heart today and lead you on the simple, sober, sure path that ends in Him.

P.S. Holy Father Epiphanios, Bishop of Cyprus, you defended the straight path of Orthodoxy through a life of learning, prayer, and uncompromising fidelity to Christ. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.

Our New Video Project still needs your help.

“The Journey Continues…” Project: creating a teaching series on how to practice your Faith after you convert to Orthodoxy. Topics will include going to confession, wise fasting practices, setting up your prayer corner at home, and more!

Would you consider a Special Gift to Faith Encouraged for this Project?

Every gift is doubled up to $25,000

Your Tax-deductible gift can be made here - https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/QFKQ4GL6MQBBQ

Fr. Barnabas Powell is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA. He is also the founder of Faith Encouraged Ministries and produces the Faith Encouraged Daily Devotional on Substack. Watch the Faith Encouraged YouTube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@FaithEncouragedTV

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Christ is risen!

American author and humorist Patsy Clairmont famously said, “Normal is just a setting on your dryer.”

She hoped to communicate that our idea of “normal” is often unreachable and a source of shame in our lives. This insight is largely correct. Because we don’t scrutinize our definition of “normal,” we often miss the opportunity to deal with reality.

But that doesn’t mean there is no true definition of “normal.”

“In her joy she did not open the gate.”

One aspect of Orthodox Christianity that drew me to the Faith so many years ago was the revelation that I had been spending most of my life avoiding reality. I was enslaved by the wrong perspective on what a normal life really was. The Church answers this question in a peculiar and challenging way.

Normal is a Person, not a set of expectations. Jesus is Normal. The Resurrection makes the impossible possible. And it resets everything we thought we knew about what an ordinary day could hold.

Today is Monday of the Fifth Week after Pascha. Today also marks the launch of our refined devotional format. Thank you for the feedback some of you have shared. The new format is designed to be easier to carry with you throughout your day. Today we celebrate Sts. Cyril and Methodius, the great Equal-to-the-Apostles missionaries who reset what “normal” looked like for the entire Slavic world.

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Today’s Lesson: Acts 12:12-17

In those days, Peter went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a maid named Rhoda came to answer. Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran and told that Peter was standing at the gate. They said to her, “You are mad.” But she insisted that it was so. They said, “It is his angel!” But Peter continued knocking; and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell this to James and to the brethren.” Then he departed and went to another place.

This is one of my favorite scenes in the Book of Acts. The authorities had arrested St. Peter for spreading the News of the Resurrection, but an angel came in the night and released him from jail. The faithful had been in constant prayer for him. The Lord answered their prayers, and St. Peter went to Mary’s house, where they were all praying.

And then the most wonderful, human, slightly comical thing happens.

What Can We Take From This?

First, the Risen Lord answers prayer in ways that often expose how small our expectations have become.

Look at what happens when Peter arrives. Rhoda hears his voice at the gate. She recognizes him. And then, “in her joy she did not open the gate but ran and told that Peter was standing at the gate.”

She was so overwhelmed by the answered prayer that she forgot to actually let Peter in.

The other believers have an even more telling response. “You are mad,” they say. Then they decide it must be his angel. Anything but the simple, miraculous truth that their prayer had been answered.

This is humbling. They were praying for the very thing they already had at the gate. But their imagination of what God might do was smaller than what God actually did.

We do this constantly. We pray for the healing and then refuse to believe it when it comes. We ask for clarity and then dismiss the answer as a coincidence. We pray for our prodigal child and then explain away the small steps homeward as just luck. We ask for peace and then keep manufacturing the anxiety that crowds it out.

The Risen Lord wants to expand our definition of normal. He answers prayer in ways that often shock us, and He invites us to receive His answers without explaining them away.

Next, real faith opens the gate even when joy, doubt, or easy explanations want to keep it closed.

Peter kept knocking. He didn’t go away because the believers were slow to believe Rhoda. He kept knocking until they finally opened the gate.

This is the Risen Lord’s persistence with us. He keeps knocking. He doesn’t get discouraged when our joy makes us forget to actually receive Him. He doesn’t walk away when our doubt insists “He couldn’t possibly be doing what He’s doing.” He keeps knocking until we finally open.

But the gate has to be opened. The Lord doesn’t force His way in.

When the conviction comes to reach out to the estranged family member, and you feel resistance rising. When the call to deeper service in the parish lands on your heart, and you start listing reasons why now isn’t the time. When the still small voice asks you to trust Him with something you’ve been protecting, or actually letting go of something that has worried you.

In each of these moments, the Lord is knocking. The question is whether we will stop running back and forth like Rhoda, telling everyone about the knock without actually opening the gate.

Open the gate. Let Him in. And be amazed at what enters with Him. Confront the New Normal of the Resurrection Life!

Finally, the new normal of the Resurrection requires sober joy and quiet trust.

Look at what Peter does once they finally let him in. He motions for them to be silent. He tells them what God has done. Then he simply leaves and goes “to another place.”

There is no celebration party. There is no extended testimony. There is no public spectacle. There is the quiet recognition of God’s grace, the simple instruction to tell James and the brethren, and the willingness to move on with what God is doing next.

This is the true shape of Normal Orthodoxy. Real and active presence of God in our lives, received with sober joy. Not intoxicated by miracles. Not made spiritually proud by answered prayer. Just strengthened, made more peaceful, and made bolder in following the Risen Lord wherever He sends us next.

The world tends to define “normal” as the absence of God. The Orthodox Faith defines “normal” as the active presence of God. Both definitions cannot be true. The Resurrection settles the question. The empty tomb is the new normal, and we are invited to live every day in light of it.

Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Equal-to-the-Apostles, Illuminators of the Slavs

Today, we celebrate two of the most consequential missionary saints in the history of the Church. Sts. Cyril and Methodius were brothers from Thessaloniki in the ninth century. Both were highly educated. Both spoke the Slavic languages they had grown up hearing in their region. When the Moravian prince Rastislav requested missionaries who could teach his people in their own tongue, the Patriarch of Constantinople sent these two brothers.

What they accomplished is staggering. They created the Cyrillic alphabet still used by Slavic peoples today. They translated the Holy Scriptures and the Divine Liturgy into Slavic. They trained priests in the local language. They opened the door to the Christianization of the entire Slavic world. The fruit of their ministry is incalculable. Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Serbia, and many other nations trace their Christian heritage back through these brothers.

Sts. Cyril and Methodius teach us exactly what today’s reading teaches us. They reset what “normal” meant for the Slavic peoples. Before their ministry, the Faith seemed inaccessible, foreign, locked away in languages the people could not understand. After their ministry, the Faith was on the lips of mothers singing to their children and on the tongues of farmers praying in their fields. They opened the gate. And the Risen Lord poured through that opening into the lives of millions.

Your Response Today

Here is one practice for today. Sometime in the day, ask yourself this question: “Where is the Risen Lord knocking that I have not yet opened the gate?”

Don’t rush past the question. Sit with it. Consider the prompts you’ve been ignoring. The answered prayers you’ve been explaining away. The invitations to deeper trust you’ve been postponing.

Then pray simply:

“Lord Jesus Christ, I open the gate. Come in. Reset my definition of normal.”

The Risen Lord is patient. He will keep knocking. But the joy of His arrival is meant to be received, not just reported to others. Open the gate today.

Being Orthodox on Purpose means letting the Risen Lord reset your definition of normal until His active presence becomes the most ordinary, expected, and treasured reality of your daily life!

A note from Fr. Barnabas: Today marks the launch of our refined devotional format. Thank you for journeying with me through this transition. If you find these changes helpful, or if you have suggestions, please let me know. Your feedback shapes this ministry.

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May the Risen Lord knock gently on every closed gate of your heart today, and give you the courage to open and welcome Him in.

P.S. Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius, Illuminators of the Slavs, you opened the gate of the Faith to the entire Slavic world by translating the Scriptures and the Divine Liturgy into the language of the people. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.

Our New Video Project still needs your help.

“The Journey Continues…” Project: creating a teaching series on how to practice your Faith after you convert to Orthodoxy. Topics will include going to confession, wise fasting practices, setting up your prayer corner at home, and more!

Would you consider a Special Gift to Faith Encouraged for this Project?

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Fr. Barnabas Powell is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA. He is also the founder of Faith Encouraged Ministries and produces the Faith Encouraged Daily Devotional on Substack. Watch the Faith Encouraged YouTube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@FaithEncouragedTV

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Christ is risen!

We, humans, like to see where we are going. We are not big fans of being in the dark.

That’s not a complicated notion at all, is it? No one likes to hit their shin on the corner of the coffee table in the middle of the night.

“God is light and in him is no darkness at all.”

If that’s true of my physical life, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that this is even more true in my spiritual life. Stumbling into confused spiritual darkness has even more serious complications and consequences than the dangers of physical darkness.

Today is Friday of the Fourth Week after Pascha. Today, we take a break from our reading in Acts to hear from St. John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, now an old man writing to his churches, encouraging them to embrace the Light revealed in the Risen Christ.

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Today’s Lesson: 1 John 1:1-7

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life - the life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us - that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing this that our joy may be complete.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth; but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

This is St. John writing in his old age. He had laid his head on the Lord’s chest at the Last Supper. He had stood at the foot of the Cross. He agreed to take the Theotokos into his own home. He had seen the empty tomb. He had encountered the Risen Lord. Decades later, with all that experience pressed into his soul, he writes to his beloved churches with a single, piercing message.

God is light. In Him is no darkness at all.

What Can We Take From This?

First, the Light comes from a real encounter, not from religious theory.

Notice how John begins. He doesn’t open with abstract theology. He opens with his actual, lived experience.

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands.”

This is the testimony of someone who actually met Jesus. Heard His voice. Saw His face. Touched His resurrected body. The Light John proclaims is not a philosophical concept. It is a Person he knew personally.

This matters profoundly for our own life of faith. When we reduce Christianity to ideas and propositions, we miss what John is offering us. The Faith is an encounter with a Person who is Himself the Light. We cannot escape the reality of relationships. We are created in the image of the God Who knows Himself as Persons in Communion.

When the prayers feel dry, and you wonder if any of this is real. When the theological questions get complicated, and you feel lost in the abstractions and online debates. When the disciplines start feeling like obligations rather than relationships.

Return to the simple truth that John insists upon. There is a Person at the center of all of this. He is the Light. And He has made Himself accessible to us through His Body, the Church, in the Eucharist, in the Scriptures, in the Saints, in our brothers and sisters in Christ.

The Light is not an idea you have to figure out, defend, or debate. The Light is a Person you can come to know and love.

Next, walking in darkness while claiming fellowship with God is the lie we tell ourselves.

John’s diagnosis is sharp.

“If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth.”

Notice who we are lying to. Not God. He knows us better than we know ourselves. Not the people around us. They can usually tell when something is off in us. The person we are lying to is ourselves.

This is the most insidious form of spiritual darkness. We can attend Liturgy faithfully, keep our fasts, say our prayers, and still be quietly walking in darkness in some corner of our heart we have refused to bring into the Light.

The grudge we have rationalized. The relationship we have neglected. The compromise we have made peace with. The truth we have refused to face about ourselves. These are the dark places that are not transformed simply by religious activity.

John offers no shortcut. The only path is to walk in the Light. To bring everything, including the parts we want to hide, into the presence of the One who is Light Himself.

When you sense yourself rationalizing something you know is wrong, that is the moment of choice. You can keep the rationalization and walk further into the dark, or you can name it honestly before God and let His Light begin its healing work.

Finally, the Light creates real communion with both God and one another.

Here is the beautiful promise John gives us.

“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

The Greek word here is koinonia. It means deep, real, mutual participation. Not surface-level acquaintance. Not a religious performance. Genuine sharing of life with God and with one another.

Notice that the Light creates communion in two directions at once. Vertical fellowship with God produces horizontal fellowship with others. We cannot separate these two. People who claim deep love for God but have no real, honest, vulnerable connection with their brothers and sisters in Christ have not yet learned to walk in the Light.

This is why the parish matters. This is why being known by your spiritual father matters. This is why Coffee Hour, that humble Orthodox tradition of gathering after Liturgy, is more important than we often realize. The Light creates a community where we can be honest with one another because we are all being honest with the same Lord.

When the parish hall conversations stay safely on the surface, when we never let anyone see our struggles, when we keep our spiritual life entirely private, we are walking in a kind of darkness that prevents the koinonia John is describing.

The Light wants to draw us out of isolation and into real communion. Both vertical and horizontal. Both with God and with His people.

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The Synaxis of St. John the Apostle, Evangelist, and Theologian

Today we celebrate the great Synaxis of St. John the Apostle, the disciple whom Jesus loved. He was one of the inner three who witnessed the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, the agony in Gethsemane, and the raising of Jairus’s daughter. He stood at the foot of the Cross when others fled. He was the first to enter the empty tomb on Pascha morning and the first to recognize the Risen Lord on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias.

After Pentecost, John cared for the Theotokos until her Dormition. He preached extensively and was eventually exiled to the island of Patmos, where he received the visions recorded in the Book of Revelation. He returned to Ephesus in his old age and wrote his Gospel, three Epistles, and his apocalyptic vision. He is traditionally believed to be the only apostle who did not die a martyr’s death, falling asleep peacefully at a very advanced age.

St. John teaches us that a life spent walking in the Light produces an old age that radiates the Light to others. His final words to his beloved disciples were reportedly simple: “Little children, love one another.” Decades of communion with the Light had distilled his entire ministry into that one essential truth.

Your Response Today

Here is one practice for today. Find a quiet moment, perhaps before you go to sleep, and pray this simple prayer of self-examination:

“Lord Jesus Christ, You are Light. Show me where I am still walking in darkness. Bring everything in me into Your healing Light.”

Then sit in silence for a few minutes. Don’t rush. Let the Lord show you what He wants to show you. Don’t defend yourself. Don’t explain. Just receive what He reveals.

The Light will not condemn you. The Light will heal you. But the healing only begins when we stop hiding the dark places and bring them into His presence.

Being Orthodox on Purpose means walking honestly in the Light who is Christ Himself, so that real communion with God and with one another can flourish in your life!

A brief note from Fr. Barnabas: Over the coming weeks, I’ll be refining the format of this daily devotional to better serve your spiritual growth. The new format will launch Monday, May 11th. Look for small changes that make each devotional easier to carry with you throughout your day. Your feedback will help shape these improvements. Let me know what you think.

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P.S. Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, the disciple whom Jesus loved, you walked in the Light through a long life of faithful witness and distilled all your ministry into the simple command to love one another. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.

Our New Video Project still needs your help.

“The Journey Continues…” Project: creating a teaching series on how to practice your Faith after you convert to Orthodoxy. Topics will include going to confession, wise fasting practices, setting up your prayer corner at home, and more!

Would you consider a Special Gift to Faith Encouraged for this Project?

Every gift is doubled up to $25,000

Your Tax-deductible gift can be made here - https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/QFKQ4GL6MQBBQ

Fr. Barnabas Powell is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA. He is also the founder of Faith Encouraged Ministries and produces the Faith Encouraged Daily Devotional on Substack. Watch the Faith Encouraged YouTube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@FaithEncouragedTV

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Christ is risen!

“Vision” has been something of a buzzword in the Leadership Training manual for some time.

Of course, these Leadership gurus get this foundational principle from the Holy Scriptures when King Solomon declared, “Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” (Proverbs 29:18)

There is powerful wisdom in the truth that without a controlling vision, a goal, and an understanding of ultimate purpose, we humans will wander aimlessly, trying this or that path, unaware that most of these paths, driven by selfishness, lead us to destruction.

“I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.”

The truth is, you are already living out the “vision” that controls you.

Your formation, whether purposefully or haphazardly formed, creates how you “see” the world and your life. What is your vision? You have one. Is it the right one?

Today is Thursday of the Fourth Week after Pascha. As we journey through Acts, we encounter St. Paul standing before King Agrippa, giving the testimony that defines his entire life.

Today’s Lesson: Acts 26:1, 12-20

In those days, King Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense: “I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining round me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and bear witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles-to whom I send you to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ Wherefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those at Damascus, then at Jerusalem and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and perform deeds worthy of their repentance.”

Here we have St. Paul, under arrest, as usual, giving his testimony before King Agrippa. By the way, Paul's stint in jail will result in an appeal to the Roman Emperor, and he will be sent to Rome for trial. It won’t end well, at least from an earthly perspective.

Paul tells the king he was once a persecutor of Christians, but everything changed on the Road to Damascus. Paul saw the Risen Jesus and was confronted with Christ. That confrontational vision changed Paul forever, and he received his marching orders from the Lord for the rest of his life.

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What Can We Take From This?

First, every life is shaped by a vision, and the only question is whether your vision is heavenly or too small.

You are already living out a vision.

Whether you chose it or simply absorbed it from the world around you, a controlling vision is shaping your daily decisions, priorities, reactions, and dreams.

For some, the vision is comfort. For others, it is success. For others, it is security, recognition, family stability, or the approval of certain people. None of these is evil. But all of them are too small to organize an entire life around. Too temporary. Too self-centered.

The question is not whether you have a vision. The question is whether your vision is large enough to hold the full weight of your existence.

When you find yourself anxious about something that won’t matter in five years, your vision is too small. When you find yourself willing to compromise your integrity for something temporary, your vision is too small. When the disappointments of life leave you devastated rather than steadied, your vision is too small.

A heavenly vision doesn’t make hardship disappear. But it gives the soul a place to stand when everything temporary shakes.

Next, the heavenly vision is always a call to be a minister and a witness.

Notice what the Lord tells Paul on the road. “I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and bear witness.”

Paul was to be a Minister and a Witness.

A Minister in the sense that he was to dedicate the rest of his life to making the revelation of Jesus accessible to everyone, even the Gentiles. A Witness because that is the primary task of someone who has encountered the Risen Jesus.

This is the shape of every heavenly vision. It is never just for you. It always sends you back to others.

The retired teacher in the parish discovers her ministry isn’t over, but transformed. The young father realizes his witness happens most powerfully at the kitchen table with his children. The businesswoman recognizes that her workplace is her mission field. The grandmother who feels useless is exactly the prayer warrior her family needs.

When the Lord gives a heavenly vision, He gives it for the sake of others. The vision that organizes your life is also the vision that pours your life out for those around you.

Finally, the heavenly vision must be obeyed if it is to bear fruit.

Paul’s most striking statement is what defines his entire life: “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.”

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This is the difference between a vision that transforms a life and a vision that merely visits a life. Many people have moments of clarity. Many people sense the call of God. Many people experience the touch of grace. But the difference is what comes next.

Paul didn’t just have a vision. He obeyed it. For decades. Through shipwrecks and beatings and imprisonments and rejection. Standing before King Agrippa in chains, he could still say, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.”

What about you? Where has the Lord given you clarity that you have not yet obeyed? The relationship you know needs to be repaired. The conversation you’ve been avoiding. The discipline you’ve been resisting. The forgiveness you’ve been withholding. The ministry you’ve been declining. The truth you’ve been refusing to face.

The heavenly vision only transforms the life that obeys it. Otherwise, it remains a beautiful memory rather than a defining reality that actually changes your life.

The Precious Cross That Appeared Over Jerusalem

Today we commemorate a remarkable event from the year 351 AD. St. Cyril of Jerusalem reported to the new Roman Emperor Constantius, son of St. Constantine the Great, that a Cross of light appeared in the sky above Jerusalem, stretching from the Mount of Olives to Calvary. This vision was visible to the entire city, lingered in the sky throughout the day, and was brighter than the sun itself.

This happened during a tense period in the Empire. The Christian Faith had only recently been legalized. Heresies were dividing the Church. Emperor Constantius himself had been influenced by the Arian heresy. Into this confusion, the Lord gave a vision so undeniable that it could not be dismissed.

The vision furthered the growth of the Christian Faith throughout the Roman Empire. It strengthened the faithful. It provided a powerful witness at a time when the Church needed a reminder that the Cross is not weakness but glory.

This vision teaches us exactly what Paul’s vision taught him. The Lord still gives vision to His people when they need it most. The Cross that appeared over Jerusalem is the same Cross that conquered death at Pascha. And the heavenly vision is always available to those who will lift their eyes to see it.

Your Response Today

Here is one practice for today. Sometime in the quiet of your day, ask yourself this honest question: “What vision is actually shaping my life right now?”

Don’t answer too quickly. Look at where your time goes. Look at what you worry about. Look at what you celebrate. Look at what you sacrifice for. The vision shaping your life is revealed by these patterns, not by the vision you say you have.

Then pray simply:

“Lord Jesus Christ, give me a heavenly vision large enough for my whole life. And give me the courage to be obedient to it.”

A vision that is too small will leave you exhausted by the temporary. A heavenly vision will give your soul a place to stand for whatever comes.

Being Orthodox on Purpose means receiving a heavenly vision large enough to hold your whole life and obeying it day by day, just as St. Paul did until his last breath!

A brief note from Fr. Barnabas: Over the coming weeks, I’ll be refining the format of this daily devotional to better serve your spiritual growth. The new format will launch Monday, May 11th. Look for small changes that make each devotional easier to carry with you throughout your day. Your feedback will help shape these improvements. Let me know what you think.

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P.S. O Christ our God, the image of Your Cross at this time shone brighter than the sun when You spread it out from the holy Mount of Olives to Calvary, strengthening the faithful. Keep us always in peace, by the intercessions of the Theotokos, and save us.

Our New Video Project still needs your help.

“The Journey Continues…” Project: creating a teaching series on how to practice your Faith after you convert to Orthodoxy. Topics will include going to confession, wise fasting practices, setting up your prayer corner at home, and more!

Would you consider a Special Gift to Faith Encouraged for this Project?

Every gift is doubled up to $25,000

Your Tax-deductible gift can be made here - https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/QFKQ4GL6MQBBQ

Fr. Barnabas Powell is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA. He is also the founder of Faith Encouraged Ministries and produces the Faith Encouraged Daily Devotional on Substack. Watch the Faith Encouraged YouTube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@FaithEncouragedTV

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Christ is risen!

She started crying as I shook her hand. She was trembling, and I was both confused and troubled.

Her husband stepped in to save the day. “Father, she is very excited to meet you. We were going through a very difficult time when our family found your videos on YouTube. We watched your videos and then started receiving the daily devotionals, which touched us all so deeply. She’s very nervous and very grateful to you.”

What do you say to something like that? I confess I was very uncomfortable and quickly added that if they knew me as my wife and kids know me, they wouldn’t be excited to meet me at all!

“Men, why are you doing this? We also are men.”

It makes sense that people are grateful to God when God uses His creatures to minister to their needs. But this gratitude must always be tempered with sobriety. Jesus calls this Way of Life the “narrow” way. You have to pay attention if you’re going to get this right.

Today is Wednesday of the Fourth Week after Pascha. This day marks an important moment in the Paschal season: we are halfway to the Feast of Pentecost. As we continue our journey through Acts, we encounter a powerful warning about how easily even genuine miracles can be misunderstood by hearts formed in the wrong direction.

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Today’s Lesson: Acts 14:6-18

In those days, the apostles fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country; and there they preached the gospel. Now at Lystra there was a man sitting, who could not use his feet; he was a cripple from birth, who had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking; and Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and walked.

And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, because he was the chief speaker, they called Hermes. And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the people.

But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out among the multitude, crying, “Men, why are you doing this? We also are men, of like nature with you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways; yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good and gave you from heaven rains and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” With these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.

St. Paul could see the man had faith to be healed. So Paul called him out and told him to walk. And the man did. There’s nothing like alleviating suffering to get people’s attention.

But what happened next reveals one of the most important challenges in sharing the Faith with anyone. The crowd’s formation made them misread the miracle entirely.

What Can We Take From This?

First, the formation people already carry will shape how they receive the Gospel.

Lystra was a typical Roman village. The people had been formed for centuries by the worship of many gods. So when they saw the miracle, their immediate interpretation was that Zeus and Hermes had come down from Olympus.

This wasn’t stupidity. This was formation. They had been raised to see the world a certain way, and that formation determined what they could and could not see.

We make a serious mistake when we assume that anyone who hears the Gospel will hear it the way we mean it. The neighbor who grew up in a prosperity-gospel church hears “blessing” through that lens. The coworker who left a legalistic tradition hears “discipline” through that wound. The family member who never had a father may hear “Father God” through that absence. The friend who was abused by clergy may hear “the Church” through that betrayal.

Their formation will need to be addressed before they can receive the Orthodox Faith on its own terms. This is not a problem to resent. It is the actual work of evangelism. Patient, humble, gentle correction of the lenses through which people see.

Plus, this reality reminds us of that very Orthodox way of truly loving the person you are speaking to, which means knowing them well enough to understand their formation.

Next, when miracles draw attention, we must immediately redirect that attention to Christ.

Paul and Barnabas tore their garments and rushed into the crowd. They didn’t enjoy the moment of being mistaken for gods. They didn’t quietly accept the worship while planning to clarify things later. They acted with urgency.

“Men, why are you doing this? We also are men, of like nature with you.”

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This is the essential posture of every faithful witness to Christ. When God works through us, the temptation is to enjoy the recognition. To accept the gratitude as if we had earned it. To let people give us credit that belongs only to God.

When the parishioner thanks you for praying with them through their crisis. When someone tells you that something you said changed their thinking. When your child or grandchild looks to you with admiration. When the difficult conversation goes better than you expected. When the small act of generosity produces unexpected fruit.

In each of those moments, we are Paul and Barnabas. We can either accept the worship or redirect the attention. The faithful response is always the same: “I am a man of like nature with you. Look at Christ.”

Finally, the True God is not like the false gods we have been formed to imagine.

Notice what Paul and Barnabas tell the crowd. They don’t just correct the misidentification. They reframe everything. “Turn from these vain things to a living God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.”

The pagan gods of Lystra were transactional. You gave them sacrifices, they gave you favors. You insulted them, and they punished you. The whole system was built on managing the unpredictable moods of capricious deities.

The True God is nothing like that.

The True God doesn’t need our sacrifices. He gives us the rains and fruitful seasons before we ever think to thank Him. He satisfies our hearts with food and gladness whether or not we acknowledge Him. His goodness is not a payment for our worship. His goodness is His nature.

How many believers, even Orthodox believers, still operate as if God were a pagan god? We pray when we want something. We bargain. We offer good behavior in exchange for blessings. We get angry when life doesn’t cooperate with our terms.

But Pascha has revealed who God really is. He is the One who comes to us first. He is the One who pours Himself out without being asked. He is the One who descends into our death and brings us up into His life.

Mid-Pentecost calls us to drink deeply of this living water. The Lord said in the temple at the midpoint of the feast: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” The True God is not waiting for our offerings. He is offering Himself to us, and we are always redirecting attention back to Him!

Job the Prophet

Today we commemorate the holy and righteous Job the Prophet, the man whose name has become synonymous with patient endurance through suffering. The book that bears his name describes a man of wealth and faithfulness who lost everything: his children, his possessions, his health. His friends came to comfort him, but ended up accusing him of secret sin. His wife told him to curse God and die.

Through it all, Job refused to let his suffering reshape his understanding of God. Even in the depths of his agony, he declared, “I know that my Redeemer lives.” In the end, the Lord spoke directly to Job, and Job’s faithfulness was vindicated. His losses were restored, and his life became a witness to the goodness of God, Who cannot be reduced to our transactional categories.

Your Response Today

Here is one practice for today. The next time someone offers you a compliment or thanks you for something good God did through you, practice this brief, internal redirection:

“Thank you. Glory to God for whatever good came from this. May He continue to bless you.”

You don’t have to make a speech. You don’t have to refuse the gratitude. You simply receive it gracefully and immediately point past yourself to the One who actually deserves the credit.

This is the small, daily practice of Paul and Barnabas. Tearing our garments at the thought of stealing glory that belongs to Christ. Pointing always past ourselves to the True God who is the source of every good thing.

Being Orthodox on Purpose means receiving every honor that comes your way as an opportunity to redirect attention to the Risen Christ, Who alone deserves it!

A brief note from Fr. Barnabas: Over the coming weeks, I’ll be refining the format of this daily devotional to better serve your spiritual growth. The new format will launch Monday, May 11th. Look for small changes that make each devotional easier to carry with you throughout your day. Your feedback will help shape these improvements. Let me know what you think.

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P.S. Holy Prophet Job, you endured suffering with faithful trust in the True God who cannot be reduced to our transactional categories, and you have taught generations to declare with you: “I know that my Redeemer lives.” Intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.

Our New Video Project still needs your help.

“The Journey Continues…” Project: creating a teaching series on how to practice your Faith after you convert to Orthodoxy. Topics will include going to confession, wise fasting practices, setting up your prayer corner at home, and more!

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Fr. Barnabas Powell is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA. He is also the founder of Faith Encouraged Ministries and produces the Faith Encouraged Daily Devotional on Substack. Watch the Faith Encouraged YouTube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@FaithEncouragedTV

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Christ is risen!

I was in a sales class, and the instructor employed a classic memory tool to help us budding salesmen understand the importance of thorough preparation:

“Proper preparation prevents poor performance.”

Ah, aliteration, how I love that rhetorical device!

It also helps that it is very true!

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail! (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.)

The truth is, if you are attentive, you’ll see how God is preparing you to be who He made you to be in the first place. And, if you are wise enough to be Orthodox on Purpose, you are already cooperating with the Spirit, preparing you to be “like Christ!”

“Your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God.”

Do you know that God is using your active practice of the Faith to prepare you?

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Today is Tuesday of the Fourth Week after Pascha. The Paschal light continues to illuminate our days as we follow this remarkable story in the Book of Acts. Yesterday, we saw the Lord prepare Peter through a vision on the rooftop. Today we meet Cornelius face-to-face and discover that the Risen Lord had been preparing him, too.

Today’s Lesson: Acts 10:21-33

In those days, Peter went down to the men sent by Cornelius to him and said, “I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for your coming?” And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well-spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house, and to hear what you have to say.” So he called them in to be his guests.

The next day he rose and went off with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him. And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his kinsmen and close friends. When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.” And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered; and he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit any one of another nation; but God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.”

And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, about this hour, I was keeping the ninth hour of prayer in my house; and behold, a man stood before me in bright apparel, saying, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter; he is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the seaside.’ So I sent to you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God, to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”

The Roman centurion Cornelius was a good and honorable man. He was raised to be a soldier, and he must have been very good at his job to reach the level of centurion in the Roman army. He was a commander of soldiers and a well-respected professional, even by those who would otherwise hate the occupying army's soldiers.

And he feared God. He prayed devoutly. He gave alms generously. So much so that God chose Cornelius, this Gentile Roman soldier, to be the convert who would change both the future of Rome AND the heart of St. Peter toward “outsiders.”

What Can We Take From This?

First, the Risen Lord prepares the heart that practices both prayer and generosity.

Notice the angel’s exact words to Cornelius: “Your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God.”

Two things. Not one. Prayer AND alms.

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Cornelius was not just a man of prayer who hoped his good intentions would translate into action someday. He was not just a generous man who hoped his charity would make up for the absence of prayer in his life. He was both.

His prayers gave his alms a soul. His alms gave his prayers feet.

This is the pattern of an Orthodox life. We are not asked to choose between contemplation and action. We are not asked to pick between the inner life of prayer and the outer life of service. The Risen Lord prepares hearts that integrate both.

Consider how this plays out in ordinary days. The morning prayers shape how you respond to the difficult coworker that afternoon. The evening prayers help you process what you witnessed at the soup kitchen. The hours of prayer and the hours of practical love are not in competition with each other. They are the two wings of the same soul.

When we are only people of prayer, we risk becoming sentimental and disconnected from the actual suffering around us. When we are only people of practice, we risk becoming exhausted activists trying to save the world by our own strength.

Cornelius shows us a third way. Pray faithfully. Give generously. Let each one feed the other. The Lord remembers both, and the Lord prepares the hearts of people like this for unexpected encounters with His grace.

Next, true hearing begins with humility that admits we don’t already know everything.

Look at how Cornelius receives Peter. “Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God, to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”

A Roman centurion, a man of authority and rank, gathers his household and his close friends to listen to a Jewish fisherman.

This is staggering. Cornelius could have insisted that Peter come and explain everything to him privately. He could have used his social position to negotiate the terms of the encounter. Instead, he assembles his entire community and positions all of them to listen.

He doesn’t say, “Peter, tell us what you think and we’ll evaluate it.” He says, “We are here to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”

That posture of humble listening is what made Cornelius ready for what was about to happen.

Most of us find this posture difficult. When a trusted friend names a pattern we’ve been avoiding, we feel the urge to explain ourselves. When a spiritual book points to a discipline we’ve been neglecting, we look for reasons it doesn’t apply to us.

Cornelius models a different way. He simply receives. He gathers his people. He prepares to hear.

True hearing is not passive. It is one of the most active spiritual postures we can adopt. It requires us to set aside our certainty long enough to genuinely consider what is being said. It requires the courage to be changed by what we hear.

Finally, the Resurrection welcomes whole households into communion, not just isolated individuals.

This detail is easy to overlook, but it’s profound. Cornelius doesn’t just send for Peter privately. He gathers “his kinsmen and close friends.” When Peter arrives, he finds “many persons gathered.”

Cornelius didn’t experience God’s grace as something private. He immediately wanted his household and his closest community to share in it.

This is how the Resurrection spreads. Not through isolated spiritual experiences but through people who can’t help but bring their loved ones into what they have found.

Think about how the early Church grew. Households were baptized together. Friends introduced friends. Soldiers brought their fellow soldiers. Slaves and masters discovered they were brothers and sisters in Christ.

Who is your community? Who are your kinsmen and close friends? When the Lord moves in your life, do you keep it private, or do you want to gather them in?

Pray for the people closest to you. Give generously to causes that bless them. Live in such a way that when the Lord moves, you will want your community to hear it too!

St. Irene the Great Martyr

Today we commemorate St. Irene the Great Martyr. She was born Penelope, the daughter of Licinius, a pagan ruler in the region of Magedon (in what is now Persia or possibly the Balkans, traditions vary) in the late first or early second century. Her parents had built her a tower with female attendants and a tutor, intending to keep her isolated from the wider world. But during her time in the tower, through encounters with a holy man named Apellian, she came to believe in Christ.

She was baptized and given the name Irene, which means “peace” in Greek. When she returned home and revealed her faith, her father, Licinius, was enraged. He attempted to have her trampled by horses, but she was unharmed, while one of the horses turned on him and killed him. St. Irene prayed for her father; his life was restored, and her entire family came to faith in Christ.

St. Irene teaches us what Cornelius’s story teaches us in a different way. The Resurrection produces people whose faith cannot be contained in private spiritual experience. She started in a tower of isolation and ended by bringing entire communities to Christ. Her name, “Peace,” was no accident. The peace of the Risen Lord, when it truly takes root in a soul, becomes the peace that gathers others in.

Your Response Today

Here is one practice for today. Take a moment, perhaps in the quiet of your morning coffee or during a pause in the afternoon, to consider these two questions side by side:

Where am I praying but not practicing? Where am I practicing but not praying?

The angel told Cornelius that his prayer and his alms had been remembered. Both. Together.

If you have a strong prayer life but find yourself critical of those in need, the Lord may be inviting you to let your prayers grow feet. If you are exhausted from giving, serving, and pouring yourself out for others, the Lord may be inviting you to return to the rooted stillness of prayer that gives your service its strength.

The Risen Lord remembers both. The Risen Lord prepares hearts that hold both. Don’t divide what God has joined.

Being Orthodox on Purpose means letting prayer give your service a soul, and letting your service give your prayer feet, just as Cornelius did before the Lord!

A brief note from Fr. Barnabas: Over the coming weeks, I’ll be refining the format of this daily devotional to better serve your spiritual growth. The new format will launch Monday, May 11th. Look for small changes that make each devotional easier to carry with you throughout your day. Your feedback will help shape these improvements. Let me know what you think.

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P.S. Holy Great Martyr Irene, you carried the peace of Christ from a tower of isolation to entire communities transformed by His Resurrection power. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.

Our New Video Project still needs your help.

“The Journey Continues…” Project: creating a teaching series on how to practice your Faith after you convert to Orthodoxy. Topics will include going to confession, wise fasting practices, setting up your prayer corner at home, and more!

Would you consider a Special Gift to Faith Encouraged for this Project?

Every gift is doubled up to $25,000

Your Tax-deductible gift can be made here - https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/QFKQ4GL6MQBBQ

Fr. Barnabas Powell is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA. He is also the founder of Faith Encouraged Ministries and produces the Faith Encouraged Daily Devotional on Substack. Watch the Faith Encouraged YouTube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@FaithEncouragedTV

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Christ is risen!

“Oh, that’s nasty!”

She had never seen anyone eat escargot before, and I had to confess, I agreed with her. But my dear friend who ordered it had a look of sheer joy on his face as he ate what he considered a delicacy. Sorry, I don’t get the attraction.

But that’s what makes life so full and joyous: the endless variety of tastes and preferences of different people who like different foods. Besides, some folks don’t understand why we Southerners prefer black-eyed peas and cornbread.

Unfortunately, our love for particular cuisines sometimes also shows up as prejudice against people who are not like us.

“What God has cleansed, you must not call common.”

It is truly powerful to realize that the necessary insight that enables us to discern can, if not kept healthy through humility and love, become the illness of prejudice and tribalism.

Today is Monday of the Fourth Week after Pascha. The Paschal light continues to illuminate our days as we journey through the Book of Acts. Today, we witness a monumental moment as the Jewish Messiah expands His ministry beyond the “chosen ones” to include the Gentiles. And not just any Gentile, but a Roman soldier, one of the occupying army’s officers.

Today’s Lesson: Acts 10:1-16

In those days, at Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms liberally to the people, and prayed constantly to God. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius.” And he stared at him in terror, and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa, and bring one Simon who is called Peter; he is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside.” When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those that waited on him, and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

The next day, as they were on their journey and coming near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. And he became hungry and desired something to eat; but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and saw the heaven opened, and something descending, like a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “No, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has cleansed, you must not call common.” This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.

This is a pivotal moment in the history of the Christian Faith. A Gentile, but not just any Gentile, a Roman Centurion, one of the soldiers who were part of the occupying army of the Empire, wanted to hear the message of St. Peter.

You have to understand that an observant Jew wouldn’t even consider coming under the same roof as a Gentile, especially a Roman soldier who was a leader in the Empire’s army. It just wasn’t done. Doing so made the Jews ceremonially unclean for Temple worship. So God had to do a little work in Peter’s heart so he’d be ready for the challenge ahead when Cornelius’s servants arrived on Peter’s doorstep.

What Can We Take From This?

First, the Resurrection expands the family of God beyond every boundary we would have drawn ourselves.

Notice who Cornelius is. A devout man. A man who feared God. A man who gave alms generously and prayed constantly. By every measure of personal character, he was a good man.

But he was a Roman. He was a Gentile. He was an officer in the army that occupied Israel. He was, by Jewish religious categories, unclean.

And the Lord chose him to be the first Gentile convert.

This is staggering when you sit with it. The Lord didn’t start with a Gentile philosopher who might be easier to explain to the Jewish believers. He didn’t start with a sympathetic Greek merchant. He started with a Roman soldier, a representative of the very power that crucified Christ.

The Resurrection refuses to honor the boundaries we draw between “us” and “them.”

Think about who you instinctively classify as “not really our kind.” The political opposite who infuriates you on social media. The neighbor whose beliefs trouble you. The family member whose lifestyle choices you find difficult. The person whose accent or appearance triggers an instinctive caution in your heart.

Now hear the Lord’s words again: “What God has cleansed, you must not call common.”

The Risen Lord is not waiting for you to approve of someone before extending grace to them. He has already chosen the people you would not have chosen. The question is whether you will catch up with what He’s already doing.

Next, our religious certainties are often the very walls God is trying to dismantle.

Look at Peter’s response to the vision. “No, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.”

Peter said no to the Lord. Three times. Remind you of another time?

This was not because Peter was rebellious. This was because Peter was religiously confident. He knew the Law. He had kept the Law his whole life. The voice in the vision was telling him to do something his religious training said was forbidden.

Sometimes, the very thing we are most certain about religiously is the thing the Lord is asking us to release.

When the homeless man approaches your car at the intersection, you feel certain about how to respond. When you find yourself in a heated theological argument with a relative, and you’re certain you’re right about the doctrine that matters. When you encounter a believer from a different tradition, and your first instinct is to catalog where they are wrong. When a seeker comes to liturgy, and you’ve been warned to watch out for “Orthobros.”

In each of these moments, the Lord may be asking you to listen rather than defend, to learn rather than instruct, to receive rather than reject.

Religious certainty is a gift when it’s grounded in humility. It becomes prejudice when we use it to keep people out who God is welcoming in.

Finally, the Lord patiently repeats Himself until we are ready to obey.

The vision happened three times. Three times the sheet descended. Three times the voice spoke. Three times Peter resisted. Only after the third repetition does the text move forward.

The Lord is patient with us. He knows that real conversion of the heart doesn’t usually happen on the first hearing. The walls we have built up over a lifetime do not come down with a single vision. Nor should they, in case we need to preserve some parts of that wisdom.

This is genuinely good news. If you have been resisting something the Lord has been showing you (a relationship that needs reconciliation, a prejudice that needs naming, a habit of dismissing certain people that needs repentance), the Lord has not given up on you. He may be in the second, third, or seventh repetition with you, gently insisting on what He has already cleansed.

Peter eventually obeyed. Cornelius and his entire household were baptized. The Gospel was opened to the Gentiles. The face of religion changed for all humanity.

All because Peter, after resisting three times, finally said yes.

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St. Pelagia the Nun-Martyr of Tarsus

Today we commemorate St. Pelagia of Tarsus, who lived in the late third and early fourth centuries during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. She was the daughter of distinguished pagan parents in Tarsus, the same city that produced St. Paul. As a young woman, she encountered the Christian Faith and was secretly baptized by Bishop Klinon.

When Diocletian’s son became enamored with her and sought her in marriage, Pelagia revealed her Christian Faith and her commitment to remain a virgin in service to Christ. The Emperor’s son was so distraught that he took his own life. Diocletian then ordered Pelagia to either marry him personally or be executed. She chose Christ. She was placed inside a heated bronze bull and martyred for her faith around 290 AD.

What strikes me about St. Pelagia is that she was a Gentile from Tarsus, the very city of St. Paul. The Gospel that came to the Gentiles through Peter’s obedience to the vision in today’s reading reached all the way to her. She is the fruit of the conversation that began on a rooftop in Joppa.

Your Response Today

Here is one practice for today. Sometime during the day, perhaps when you find yourself reacting to a news headline or scrolling past someone’s social media post that frustrates you, pause and pray this simple prayer:

“Lord Jesus Christ, what have You already cleansed that I am still calling common?”

Don’t rush to an answer. Let the question reveal what it will reveal. Consider the categories of people you have quietly written off. Consider the assumptions you carry about certain groups. Consider the doors you have closed in your heart to people who, for all you know, are praying like Cornelius and waiting for someone like Peter to bring them the Good News.

The Risen Lord is at work in places and people you do not expect. Your invitation today is simply to stop calling common what He has already cleansed.

Being Orthodox on Purpose means trusting that the Risen Lord’s grace reaches places and people we never would have chosen, and learning to catch up with what He is already doing!

A brief note from Fr. Barnabas: Over the coming weeks, I’ll be refining the format of this daily devotional to better serve your spiritual growth. The new format will launch on Monday, May 11th. Look for small changes that make each devotional easier to carry with you throughout your day. Your feedback will help shape these improvements. Let me know what you think.

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May the Risen Lord cleanse your heart of every wall you have built against people He is calling His own.

P.S. Holy Nun-Martyr Pelagia of Tarsus, you were the very fruit of the Gospel’s expansion to the Gentiles, and you witnessed to Christ unto a martyr’s death rather than compromise your love for Him. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.

Our New Video Project still needs your help.

“The Journey Continues…” Project: creating a teaching series on how to practice your Faith after you convert to Orthodoxy. Topics will include going to confession, wise fasting practices, setting up your prayer corner at home, and more!

Would you consider a Special Gift to Faith Encouraged for this Project?

Every gift is doubled up to $25,000

Your Tax-deductible gift can be made here - https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/QFKQ4GL6MQBBQ

Fr. Barnabas Powell is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA. He is also the founder of Faith Encouraged Ministries and produces the Faith Encouraged Daily Devotional on Substack. Watch the Faith Encouraged YouTube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@FaithEncouragedTV

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Christ is risen!

In 1772, one of the most beloved and widely known Christian songs ever written was written. I dare say that most, if not all, of us know the song “Amazing Grace.”

But did you know it was written by a man who was a slave trader?

In 1748, a man named John Newton survived a horrific shipwreck. Being rescued at sea, he eventually turned from his involvement in the slave trade, was ordained a minister, and years later wrote the words we still sing today:

Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me I once was lost, but now am found Was blind, but now I see

“Something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight.”

The idea that salvation is a change from blindness to sight is not new. It is an old and beautiful metaphor describing what happens when a person abandons the self-centered way of living for the soul-saving sight of following Jesus Christ. It really is a change from being blind to finally being able to see what’s true, what’s real, and what’s most important in all the world.

Today is Friday of the Third Week after Pascha. The Paschal light continues to shine, and today we witness one of the most dramatic conversions in the history of the Church. The power of the Risen Lord cures the blindness of our souls.

Today’s Lesson: Acts 8:40; 9:1-19

In those days, Philip was found at Azotos, and passing on he preached the gospel to all the towns till he came to Caesarea. But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he journeyed he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed about him. And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; but rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul arose from the ground; and when his eyes were opened, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus named Saul; for behold, he is praying, and he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to thy saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon thy name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized, and took food and was strengthened.

Saul was zealously hunting the early Christians, whom he considered apostates from the Jewish faith. He had a direct confrontation with the risen Jesus as he was on his way to Damascus to arrest Christians there.

And Saul was never the same again, thank God.

What Can We Take From This?

First, the Risen Lord pursues us while we are still blind, not after we have figured everything out.

Notice where Saul was when the Light from heaven flashed around him. He was not in a synagogue praying. He was not searching for the truth.

He certainly was not open to the possibility that he had been wrong.

Saul was “still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord.” He was on his way to drag Christian men and women to prison. He was convinced he was doing God’s work while actively fighting against the Lord of Glory.

And right there, in the middle of his blindness, the Risen Christ met him.

This is the most hopeful word of the Gospel. The Lord does not wait for you to become worthy. The Lord does not wait for you to see clearly before He comes to you. He comes to you while you are still blind, while you are still wrong, while you are still actively moving in the wrong direction.

When the memory surfaces of the time you hurt someone and cannot undo it, know that Christ pursues you still. When the shame of a pattern you cannot seem to break keeps you from prayer, know that Christ pursues you still. When the theological confusion or doubt makes you feel unworthy of the sacraments, know that Christ pursues you still.

The Light that stopped Saul is the same Light that still flashes into our darkness. The Risen Lord is not waiting on the sidelines for us to become presentable. He is coming to meet us where we actually are.

Next, spiritual sight is restored through the humble ministry of others, not through our own efforts.

Consider what Saul had to do once the Light knocked him to the ground. He had to be led by the hand into Damascus. He had to wait three days in the darkness. He had to receive ministry from a man he had come to arrest. Humility and obedience always ahead of healing and peace.

This is striking. Saul did not regain his sight through his own willpower, study, or religious effort. The brilliant Pharisee, the student of Gamaliel, the zealous defender of the Law, was reduced to needing someone else to lead him. And the one sent to heal him was Ananias, a simple disciple who was understandably reluctant.

When Ananias arrived, his first word was “Brother Saul.” Brother. Not “enemy.” Not “persecutor.” Brother. The man Saul had come to hunt called him family before the scales had even fallen.

This is how spiritual sight returns to the blind. Through the humble, faithful ministry of the Body of Christ. Through a priest’s prayers in confession. Through a faithful spouse who keeps praying when you cannot. Through a Sunday school teacher who plants a seed decades before it sprouts. Through a sister or brother in Christ who calls you “brother” when the world calls you something else.

No one recovers their sight alone. The Risen Lord heals us through His Body, the Church.

Finally, the moment the scales fall is always followed by a calling, not just comfort.

Notice what happens the instant Saul can see again. He is baptized. He takes food. He is strengthened. And the next verses of Acts (which we will read soon) tell us he immediately begins preaching Christ in the synagogues of Damascus.

There is no pause. No long retreat. No extended period of self-discovery. The scales fall, and the mission begins.

This is important. The Lord did not heal Saul’s blindness for Saul’s benefit alone. He healed him to send him to the Gentiles, to us. The restoration of sight was inseparable from the calling to bear witness.

Every conversion, no matter when and to whom it happens, follows this pattern. The Light dawns in our hearts. We, not used to the brightness of God’s love for us, are arrested by Him. The blindness gives way to insight as we obey the Good News and embrace the risen Lord. And then we are sent.

When you taste the Lord’s mercy in confession, you are sent back into your home to forgive others as you have been forgiven. When the peace of Christ settles into your heart during Divine Liturgy, you are sent back into the grocery store and the driveway to carry that peace into the world. When the scales fall from your eyes about a besetting sin, you are sent to walk differently, starting today.

Seeing is never just for ourselves. The Risen Lord heals our blindness so that we can bear witness to the Light.

St. Tamara, Queen of Georgia

Today, we commemorate St. Tamara, Queen of Georgia, who reigned from 1184 to 1213. She was one of the most remarkable monarchs in Georgian history, ruling during what is called Georgia’s “Golden Age.” Under her leadership, Georgia experienced unprecedented peace, cultural flowering, and the spread of the Orthodox faith.

St. Tamara was known for her deep personal piety. She built and restored many churches and monasteries. She cared for the poor and the suffering. She wept for the sins of her people and for her own. She is said to have personally spun and woven garments for orphans and the needy. Despite ruling an empire, she refused to let the scales of worldly power blind her to eternal realities. She saw her crown as a trust from God, not a possession to be enjoyed. She was truly able to see!

Your Response Today

Here is one practice for today. Take a moment, perhaps during a quiet cup of coffee or before bed, and ask yourself this question:

“Where am I still blind?”

Don’t rush the answer. Don’t manufacture something dramatic. Just sit with the question. Perhaps there is a relationship where you’ve been seeing yourself as entirely in the right. Perhaps there is a resentment you’ve been nursing that you’ve never honestly examined. Perhaps there is a habit you’ve been justifying. Perhaps there is a fear that controls more of your decisions than you’ve admitted.

And then, this is the crucial part: be willing to receive ministry from whoever shows up. Your spiritual father. Your spouse. An unexpected conversation with a friend. A verse that keeps surfacing in your mind. A word from a homily that won’t leave you alone.

The Risen Lord heals blindness through His Body. Let Him lead you by the hand to Ananias.

Being Orthodox on Purpose means letting the Risen Lord heal your blindness through the humble ministry of His Body, and then bearing witness to what you now see!

A brief note from Fr. Barnabas: Over the coming weeks, I’ll be refining the format of this daily devotional to better serve your spiritual growth. Look for small changes that make each devotional easier to carry with you throughout your day. Your feedback will help shape these improvements. Let me know what you think.

May the Risen Lord cause the scales to fall from your eyes today, and may you see Him in places you had stopped looking.

P.S. Holy Queen Tamara, you ruled with humility and saw your crown as a trust from God, refusing to let the scales of worldly power blind you to eternal realities. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.

Our New Video Project still needs your help.

“The Journey Continues…” Project: creating a teaching series on how to practice your Faith after you convert to Orthodoxy. Topics will include going to confession, wise fasting practices, setting up your prayer corner at home, and more!

Would you consider a Special Gift to Faith Encouraged for this Project?

Every gift is doubled up to $25,000

Your Tax-deductible gift can be made here - https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/QFKQ4GL6MQBBQ

Fr. Barnabas Powell is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA. He is also the founder of Faith Encouraged Ministries and produces the Faith Encouraged Daily Devotional on Substack. Watch the Faith Encouraged YouTube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@FaithEncouragedTV

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Christ is risen!

We learn to make all of life sacred by making one moment sacred.

While that may really sound paradoxical, it makes perfect sense when you consider that it’s only by a focused effort that I can wake up to a wider truth. If I try to take in the whole world, eternity, and all things, I get overwhelmed.

Why do you think we are so impassioned by politics and the “big questions?”

Those “big” issues are easier to wash over us and intoxicate us with anger, worry, or even fear. But if I take the neighbor next to me and serve him and love him as myself, I learn how to embrace the whole world as God’s gift to me.

“Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me.”

It’s how we Christians are called to take our everyday lives, avoid wasting all our energy on the temporary, and focus first on the eternal.

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Today is Thursday of the Third Week after Pascha. The Paschal light continues to illuminate our days. But today is also an important feast in the Church as we honor St. James the Apostle, one of the “sons of thunder” and the first of the Twelve to be martyred for his faith in the Risen Lord.

Today’s Lesson: Acts 12:1-11

About that time, Herod the king laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword; and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. So Peter was kept in prison; but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the Church.

The very night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison; and behold, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, “Wrap your mantle around you and follow me.” And he went out and followed him; he did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened to them of its own accord, and they went out and passed on through one street; and immediately the angel left him. And Peter came to himself, and said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

Notice three actions in temporary time that point us to an eternal purpose.

And make no mistake, our willingness to cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He transforms me by the power of the Resurrection to escape the temptations of the temporary for the powerful purpose of the eternal IS the heart of being Orthodox.

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What Can We Take From This?

First, prayer is the lifestyle of those who have traded the temporary for the eternal.

The persecution of the Faithful was intense, which caused them to pray!

They didn’t march on the capital. They didn’t organize a concert to benefit the families of the martyred saints or to protest St. Peter’s arrest.

They prayed.

All too often, we think of prayer as a “last resort” when it should be our constant lifestyle. I’ll never train my time-bound body and soul to see eternity if I don’t carve out specific times to pray. Prayer reorients me towards intimacy with my Eternal Lord.

The early Church had just watched St. James beheaded. They knew St. Peter was probably next. The temporary pressures were crushing. And their response was to gather and pray.

When the difficult diagnosis arrives and your mind races with what-ifs, where does it race first? When your child is struggling, and you can’t fix it, what do your hands reach for before anything else? When the relationship strains and the conflict seems impossible, what is your first instinct?

The early Church’s instinct was prayer. Not because they were naturally more spiritual than we are, but because the Resurrection had reordered their priorities.

When you truly believe that eternity is real and Christ has conquered death, you spend less time wrestling with the temporary and more time communing with the Eternal.

Next, prayer creates people who can sleep in chains because their peace does not depend on circumstances.

Look at Peter. He is asleep between two soldiers. He is bound with two chains. Sixteen guards surround him. Tomorrow, he will likely be executed, just as St. James was executed.

And he is sleeping.

This is the same Peter who was so intimidated by a slave girl outside of the high priest’s home when Jesus was arrested that he cursed and denied he ever knew Jesus. What changed?

Peter’s lifestyle had changed with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. He had spent years learning to see from eternity’s perspective. His peace was no longer tied to his circumstances. His peace was tied to Christ.

Consider what this means when the car won’t start, and you’re already running late for the meeting. When the email arrives with criticism you didn’t expect. When the news breaks about something you cannot control. When the body begins to fail in ways that frighten you. When the “wrong person” wins an election.

Peter teaches us that peace in chains is possible when our life is hidden with Christ. Not because the chains don’t matter, but because Christ matters infinitely more.

Finally, every rescue in this life confirms an eternal purpose that cannot be thwarted.

St. Peter sees this temporary rescue at this specific time and place as another confirmation that his ministry and the ministry of the Faithful are not yet finished. Peter has already heard from the risen Lord that he would be killed for being a follower of Jesus, but not today.

Today, this moment confirms that the lives of the Faithful, gathered to pray and to effect the rescue of St. Peter, sanctify a moment, a place, and a person for an eternal purpose.

Notice what Peter does not say. He does not say, “I’m safe now.” He says, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me.”

Peter knows his ultimate safety is not the absence of future suffering. His ultimate safety is being in the Lord’s hands. This rescue confirms that his life is still ordered toward an eternal purpose, not that he will escape all future hardship.

This is the freedom the Resurrection gives us. We stop measuring our lives by whether we are comfortable in the moment and start measuring them by whether we are faithful to the eternal purpose God has given us.

St. James the Apostle, Brother of St. John the Theologian

Today we celebrate St. James the Apostle, one of the Twelve, brother of St. John the Theologian, and son of Zebedee. The Lord Jesus called James and John the “sons of thunder” because of their zeal and fiery temperament. James was among the inner circle of three disciples who witnessed the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, the raising of Jairus's daughter, and the agony of the Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Today’s reading tells us directly of his martyrdom: “Herod the king laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.” St. James was the first of the Twelve Apostles to be martyred for the faith, around 44 AD.

St. James truly believed in the Resurrection. He had seen the Lord transfigured on Tabor. He had seen Him in agony in Gethsemane. He had seen Him risen from the dead. And when the sword of Herod came, he did not flinch from his witness. He chose eternal faithfulness to Jesus over the temporary comfort of popularity, compromise, or denial.

St. James teaches us that the Resurrection produces people who value faithfulness to Christ more than their own lives. He is remembered today, two thousand years later, because he traded the temporary for the eternal. The sword that took his life could not touch his communion with the Risen Lord.

Your Response Today

Here is one practice for today. Find three moments in your day when the temporary is pressing in on you. It might be in the middle of a stressful phone call. It might be when you’re stuck in traffic and running late. It might be when you check the news, and your chest tightens.

In each of those three moments, pause just long enough to pray:

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, You have conquered death. This moment is held in Your hands. Let me see it with eternal eyes.”

Three moments. That’s it. You’re not trying to transform your whole day through willpower. You’re just practicing the small, focused discipline that Peter practiced in prison and that St. James practiced on the way to his martyrdom: returning your attention to the Risen Lord who holds both this moment and eternity.

We learn how to make all of life sacred by making one moment sacred. Then another. Then another.

Being Orthodox on Purpose means trading the exhausting weight of the temporary for the freeing vision of the eternal, one moment at a time!

A brief note from Fr. Barnabas: Over the coming weeks, I’ll be refining the format of this daily devotional to better serve your spiritual growth. Look for small changes that make each devotional easier to carry with you throughout your day. Your feedback will help shape these improvements. Let me know what you think.

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May the Risen Lord give you the peace of Peter in chains and the faithfulness of James to the end.

P.S. Holy Apostle James, son of thunder, brother of John the Theologian, you were the first of the Twelve to die for Christ, choosing eternal faithfulness over temporary comfort. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.

For the rest of April, we are celebrating Fr. Barnabas’ birthday, raising support for a new video project. If you’d like to give a Birthday Gift, please click the link below and participate in our new video project.

“The Journey Continues…” Project: creating a teaching series on how to practice your Faith after you convert to Orthodoxy. Topics will include going to confession, wise fasting practices, setting up your prayer corner at home, and more!

Would you consider a Special Birthday Gift to Faith Encouraged for this Project?

Every gift is doubled up to $25,000

Your Tax-deductible gift can be made here - https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/QFKQ4GL6MQBBQ

Fr. Barnabas Powell is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA. He is also the founder of Faith Encouraged Ministries and produces the Faith Encouraged Daily Devotional on Substack. Watch the Faith Encouraged YouTube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@FaithEncouragedTV

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Christ is risen!

They say that you can’t buy happiness.

Well, that’s a bit subjective, because some folks are very happy for a short time when they spend money.

There is even a genuine psychological disorder that deals with folks who are addicted to spending money. So, I guess it all depends on how you define “happiness.”

Of course, there is nothing more infantile than reducing a good life to how “happy” you are. In an age where perpetual adolescence is king, our pursuit of happiness is a telling symptom of our own narcissism.

The point of the old saying is to teach that true contentment or a “good” life doesn’t depend on personal wealth or its absence. I’ve known people who were very rich who were also very miserable, and I’ve known people who are very poor but very happy as well. So, something else has to be going on here. And that “something else” is actually a window into a person’s heart.

“You thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!”

Today is Wednesday of the Third Week after Pascha. The Paschal light continues to shape our days, and we continue our journey through the Book of Acts to see how the Resurrection of Jesus transformed the Apostles and, through them, the world.

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Today’s Lesson: Acts 8:18-25

In those days, when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me also this power, that any one on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “Your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”

Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

Yesterday we met Simon the magician in Samaria. He had convinced the people that he was channeling the power of God. When St. Philip came and preached the Orthodox Message to the area, performing miracles that weren’t mere magic tricks, even Simon himself accepted baptism and believed.

But now something important happens. The Church has sent St. Peter and St. John to chrismate these new Samaritan believers so they would receive the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. By the way, this is a powerful testimony to the authority and continuity of the Apostolic message of succession through the Apostles to our own bishops to this day.

Simon witnessed this display of authority and power and really wanted to be able to do this too. So he offered money to buy it. Big mistake. But a really important window into his spiritual need.

What Can We Take From This?

First, the gifts of God flow through communion with Christ, not through possession or purchase.

Simon’s first mistake was assuming that this power and authority were possessed by Peter and John. He watched them lay hands on people. He saw the Holy Spirit come upon the new believers. And he concluded that the apostles had some kind of spiritual ability they could share for the right price.

But the power to give the Holy Spirit belongs to Christ through His Church. It isn’t so much a possession as a witness of continuity in communion. This power flows from an unbroken relationship with Jesus, not some superpower that the Apostles turn on and off as if it belonged to them.

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Think about how this applies in our own lives. When you encounter someone whose faith seems radiant, whose prayers seem to carry weight, whose presence brings peace into a room, what do you assume? Do you assume they have something you lack as a possession? Or do you recognize that what flows through them comes from their communion with Christ?

The beautiful truth is this: that same communion is available to you. Not as a commodity to acquire, but as a relationship to cultivate.

Next, the gifts of God cannot be purchased because they are gifts.

Simon’s second mistake was assuming he could “buy” what he saw happening. This reveals something deep about how he viewed spiritual reality. In his world, everything was a transaction. You paid for results. You purchased power. Spiritual gifts were just another commodity with a price tag.

There isn’t enough money in the world to buy a gift. That’s what makes it a gift.

We rarely try to buy the Holy Spirit with actual currency. But we often try to purchase spiritual growth with substitutes. We try to purchase peace by acquiring the right possessions. We try to purchase wisdom by accumulating books we don’t actually read. We try to purchase holiness by attending the right events. We try to purchase God’s favor through performance.

When the unexpected bill arrives, and anxiety rises, we discover what we’ve actually been trusting. When the relationship strains and we feel unsettled, we discover whether our peace came from circumstances or from Christ. When the doctor’s words land hard in the exam room, we discover whether we’ve been storing up treasure that cannot be taken from us.

The gifts of God cannot be purchased because they are gifts. They are received in open hands, not grasped with closed fists.

The presence of the Faoith is neither a mere talisman nor magic. And when we treat the Faith like this, we diminish the Faith to superstition and “good luck” charms.

Finally, spiritual illness is an invitation to repentance rather than a reason for despair.

Simon’s third mistake revealed the deepest issue in his heart. St. Peter names it with piercing clarity: “You are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”

This is a devastating diagnosis. Simon’s desire for this power revealed that his soul was still in bondage. His popularity had been overshadowed by the Apostles. His magic tricks looked shabby next to real miracles. And rather than falling to his knees in humility, Simon wanted to regain his position at the center of attention.

But notice what Peter does not do. He does not tell Simon that he is hopeless. He does not throw him out. He says, “Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.”

There is still an invitation. There is still a door open.

And Simon’s response, while imperfect, is telling: “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.” He at least recognized he needed prayer. He at least knew he couldn’t fix this himself.

When God reveals a spiritual illness in us, that revelation itself is mercy. The only tragedy is to receive the diagnosis and refuse the cure. The cure is always the same: repentance, prayer, humility, and the willingness to depend on God’s grace rather than our own strength.

Sts. Jason and Sosipater, the Apostles of the 70, and Their Companions

Today we commemorate Sts. Jason and Sosipater, two of the Seventy Apostles sent out by the Lord. They were disciples of the holy Apostle Paul, who mentions Jason in Romans 16:21 and Sosipater in the same verse as “my kinsman.” They traveled to the island of Corfu (Kerkyra) to preach the Gospel, where they founded a church and preached with great zeal.

They were arrested by the pagan king of Kerkyra and thrown into prison with seven notorious criminals. Through their witness and prayers, all seven criminals converted to Christ and were martyred. The king’s own daughter, Kerkyra, was also converted through their witness and joined them in martyrdom. Eventually, after many tortures, the king himself was converted before Jason and Sosipater died peacefully in old age, having established the Church on the island.

What strikes me about these holy Apostles is this: they received God’s gifts and poured them out freely. They didn’t try to possess what came through them. They didn’t try to sell or profit from their ministry. They simply opened their hands and let the grace of Christ flow through them to whoever would receive it, from prisoners to princesses to pagan kings.

Sts. Jason and Sosipater teach us that the Holy Spirit works through those who remember that everything they have is a gift, freely given and freely shared.

Your Response Today

Here is one practice for today. Take three minutes of quiet at some point during the day, perhaps when you pour your morning coffee or before you start your commute home, and pray this simple prayer:

“Lord Jesus Christ, I have nothing to offer You except my need for You. I receive Your gifts with open hands. Heal my heart of every desire to possess what should only be received. Have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Then pay attention throughout the day to the moments when you feel the tug to possess, to control, to earn, to buy your way into something only God can give. In each of those moments, return to the prayer.

The path to freedom from Simon’s error is not complicated. It is simply the willingness to receive God’s daily grace as a gift and not a possession.

Being Orthodox on Purpose means receiving the gifts of God with open hands rather than trying to grasp them as possessions!

A brief note from Fr. Barnabas: Over the coming weeks, I’ll be refining the format of this daily devotional to better serve your spiritual growth. Look for small changes that make each devotional easier to carry with you throughout your day. Your feedback will help shape these improvements. Let me know what you think.

May the Risen Lord fill your open hands today with gifts you could never purchase and would never have thought to ask for.

P.S. Holy Apostles Jason and Sosipater, you received God's gifts freely and poured them out freely, bringing prisoners, princesses, and pagan kings to Christ through your open-handed witness. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.

For the rest of April, we are celebrating Fr. Barnabas’ birthday, raising support for a new video project. If you’d like to give a Birthday Gift, please click the link below and participate in our new video project.

“The Journey Continues…” Project: creating a teaching series on how to practice your Faith after you convert to Orthodoxy. Topics will include going to confession, wise fasting practices, and setting up your prayer corner at home, plus many more!

Would you consider a Special Birthday Gift to Faith Encouraged for this Project?

Every gift is doubled up to $25,000

Your Tax-deductible gift can be made here - https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/QFKQ4GL6MQBBQ

Fr. Barnabas Powell is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA. He is also the founder of Faith Encouraged Ministries and produces the Faith Encouraged Daily Devotional on Substack. Watch the Faith Encouraged YouTube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@FaithEncouragedTV

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Christ is risen!

Everybody loves a celebrity. All you have to do is stand in line at the grocery store and see the many different magazines dedicated to keeping us informed about the lives of this or that celebrity, and you can’t escape this weakness in we humans.

But so many of our celebrities turn out to be just as weak and just as fallible as we are, and we love learning that too! Maybe it makes us feel better about ourselves.

“This man is that power of God which is called Great.”

The crowds said this about a man who was about to discover that fame and faith are not the same thing.

Today is Tuesday of the Third Week after Pascha. The Paschal light continues to illuminate our path, and we continue our journey through the Book of Acts to see how the Resurrection transformed the early disciples and grew the Church through their bold witness.

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Today’s Lesson: Acts 8:5-17

In those days, Philip went down to a city of Samaria, and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the multitudes with one accord gave heed to what was said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs which he did. For unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice; and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in the city.

But there was a man named Simon who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the nation of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all gave heed to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is that power of God which is called Great.” And they gave heed to him, because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for it had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

The amazing thing in this passage is that a Jew (Philip) is in Samaria at all. This part of the world was a place of half-breeds, strange religions, weird beliefs, and some really shady religious characters. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

And yet, here is this Jewish man, a follower of Christ, proclaiming that this Risen Savior is for the Samaritans as well.

In fact, He’s for everybody, regardless of ethnic background, economic situation, or education level. There is only one barrier that will keep you from this loving Lord: your own lack of desire to know Him!

What Can We Take From This?

First, the Resurrection breaks down every barrier between people and Christ's love.

Notice what Philip does. He goes to Samaria. A Jew preaching to Samaritans was scandalous in his day. These were the people Jews avoided, looked down on, and considered religiously compromised. But the Risen Christ had reordered everything for Philip.

The Resurrection doesn’t just defeat death. It defeats every wall we build between ourselves and others. Philip sees Samaritans the way Christ sees them: beloved, made in God’s image, in need of the Good News.

Of course, Jesus did this first when He spoke to the Samaritan woman, St. Photini, in the Gospels. St. Philip is following the Lord’s example.

Think about the people you instinctively dismiss. The political opposite. The neighbor whose lifestyle troubles you. The family member you’ve written off. The person whose theology you find offensive.

When the difficult coworker walks into the breakroom, do you see them the way Philip saw the Samaritans? When the relative with whom you disagree calls, can you greet them with the love of the Risen Christ? When the news shows you “those people,” can you remember that Christ died and rose for them, too?

The Resurrection makes evangelists out of ordinary disciples, and it does so by first softening our hearts toward people we used to avoid.

Next, fame and influence are no substitute for the actual transformation that only the Holy Spirit can accomplish.

Then we meet Simon. He was famous in Samaria. The crowds called him “the power of God which is called Great.” He had built a reputation through his magic tricks that he passed off as miracles. He was, in modern terms, a religious celebrity.

And remarkably, Simon believed and was baptized.

But notice what the text carefully tells us. Simon believed. Simon was baptized. Simon continued with Philip. Simon was amazed at the signs. But Simon had not yet allowed the Holy Spirit to deeply reform him.

This is profound. You can have religious experience, religious admiration, religious activity, and even religious belief, while still missing the actual indwelling of the Holy Spirit who transforms the heart.

It takes time, obedience, and patient faithfulness to be transformed.

Simon’s story isn’t finished here. The next verses (which we’ll encounter later) reveal that Simon tried to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit with money, thinking the apostles’ power was just a more impressive version of his magic. He missed the whole point. He thought spiritual power was a commodity to be acquired, not a gift to be received in humility, and a maturity attained through time and faithfulness.

Fame had taught him that everything is for sale. Faith was about to teach him otherwise.

Finally, popularity is never a shortcut to maturity, and the Resurrection invites us to grow up rather than grow famous.

We stumble when we get caught up in the flash of celebrity, thinking that popularity equals maturity or even insight. The Samaritans had listened to Simon for years because his magic dazzled them. But dazzle is not the same as truth.

When the algorithm rewards your post with attention, do you mistake that for God’s blessing? When you find yourself comparing your “name recognition” to someone else’s, can you remember that this is not the measure of a life in Christ? When you taste a moment of recognition or praise, can you receive it without making it the food your soul depends on?

All of us, no matter who we are, need the healing grace of Jesus Christ to do the internal work of maturing us. Our popularity is not a shortcut to maturity. Often, it is an obstacle because it convinces us that we have already arrived.

The Risen Lord is not impressed by our follower counts. He is interested in our transformation.

The Holy New Martyrs of Cyzicus

Today we commemorate the Holy Nine Martyrs of Cyzicus: Theognis, Rufus, Antipater, Theostichus, Artemas, Magnus, Theodotus, Thaumasius, and Philemon. These men came from various backgrounds and walks of life. Some were old, some were young. Some were educated, some were common laborers. They came from different cities and different social classes.

But they were united in one thing: their faith in Jesus Christ.

In the late third century, they came together in the city of Cyzicus on the southern shore of the Sea of Marmara. The city was still largely pagan, and these men boldly called out the worship of idols as the worship of false gods. They were arrested, tortured, and eventually beheaded for refusing to renounce Christ. Their relics were discovered in 324 AD, when Christian persecution had ended in the Eastern Roman Empire.

The Holy Martyrs of Cyzicus teach us that the only fame worth pursuing is the fame written in the Book of Life. They were not celebrities in their lifetimes. They had no influence, no platforms, no followings. But the Holy Spirit had genuinely transformed them, and that transformation gave them courage that no amount of worldly fame could ever produce. They are remembered now not because they were famous, but because they were faithful.

Your Response Today

Here is one practice for today. The next time you feel the pull of comparison (whether it’s scrolling social media, watching someone else receive recognition, or noticing your own desire to be seen), pause and pray this brief prayer:

“Lord Jesus Christ, You see me. That is enough.”

Then return to the work in front of you with a quieter heart.

Popularity is a hollow trap, but the gaze of Christ on your faithful obedience is the only audience that ultimately matters. Make being Orthodox on Purpose your only claim to fame.

Being Orthodox on Purpose means trusting that the gaze of Christ on your faithfulness matters infinitely more than the recognition of any crowd!

A brief note from Fr. Barnabas: Over the coming weeks, I’ll be refining the format of this daily devotional to better serve your spiritual growth. Look for small changes that make each devotional easier to carry with you throughout your day. Your feedback will help shape these improvements. Let me know what you think.

Leave a comment

P.S. Holy Nine Martyrs of Cyzicus, you were not famous in your lifetimes but were genuinely transformed by the Holy Spirit, and your faithfulness gave you the courage to confess Christ even unto death. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.

For the rest of April, we are celebrating Fr. Barnabas’ birthday, raising support for a new video project. If you’d like to give a Birthday Gift, please click the link below and participate in our new video project.

“The Journey Continues…” Project: creating a teaching series on how to practice your Faith after you convert to Orthodoxy. Topics will include going to confession, wise fasting practices, and setting up your prayer corner at home, plus many more!

Would you consider a Special Birthday Gift to Faith Encouraged for this Project?

Every gift is doubled up to $25,000

Your Tax-deductible gift can be made here - https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/QFKQ4GL6MQBBQ

Fr. Barnabas Powell is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA. He is also the founder of Faith Encouraged Ministries and produces the Faith Encouraged Daily Devotional on Substack. Watch the Faith Encouraged YouTube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@FaithEncouragedTV

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Christ is risen!

“That boy is so hard-headed he wouldn’t even notice a rock hitting him between the eyes.”

My grandmother had a way with words, but I’ve known people like this, so set in their ways that not even plain evidence would move them to change their ways. They were frozen in their thinking. They were “stiff-necked!”

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Of course, that’s the danger of not being teachable or open-minded enough to change your mind about things. But this is a tough task. Add to this the challenge of our own day, when it has become painfully obvious we can’t trust the people telling us what’s important and what isn’t. Add to this the polarized society where we don’t trust each other, and the dangers of being “hard-headed” get much worse.

Today is the Third Monday after Pascha. The Light of Pascha is still burning bright, but we have to grow in humility to keep seeing it through the regular and even extraordinary challenges of everyday living.

How? St. Stephen points the way.

Today’s Lesson: Acts 6:8-15; 7:1-5, 47-60

In those days, Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, arose and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they secretly instigated men, who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us.” And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

And the high priest said, “Is this so?” And Stephen said: “Brethren and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, ‘Depart from your land and from your kindred and go into the land which I will show you.’ Then he departed from the land of the Chaldeans, and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living; yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him in possession and to his posterity after him, though he had no child.

“But it was Solomon who built a house for him. Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands; as the prophet says, ‘Heaven is my throne, and earth my footstool. What house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?’

“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”

Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth against him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together upon him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And he knelt down and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

This is early in the Church’s existence, and St. Stephen is the first deacon and the Church’s first martyr for the Faith. But notice what he calls these religious leaders: stiff-necked!

What Can We Take From This?

First, being stiff-necked is a spiritual illness that prevents us from bowing before God.

There is a prayer we often say, even during the Divine Liturgy: “Let us bow our heads to the Lord,” and the people respond, “To You, O Lord.”

Someone who is stiff-necked can’t or won’t bow their head. What a powerful description of the prideful insistence that what I want and what I believe is true, no matter what the evidence or even God Himself says.

Why can’t the stiff-necked bow?

Because they think so highly of their own righteousness that they see no need to make such a show of humility and obedience.

Plus, to bow the head would be to confess they don’t know everything. And for someone who is stiff-necked, they can’t allow for that impression even in their own hearts.

This spiritual illness of being stiff-necked meant the death of Stephen, but that was only physical death. The real consequence was that those stiff-necked people were already spiritually dead and didn’t even know it!

Next, the Resurrection creates people who can bow their heads even while being unjustly accused.

Look at Stephen. He is surrounded by false witnesses. He is being accused of blasphemy. The religious authorities are twisting his words and manufacturing evidence against him.

And what does the council see when they look at him?

“All who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.”

This is the face of someone who has bowed his head to the Lord. Not in defeat, but in deep, settled peace. Stephen isn’t panicking. He isn’t trying to save his reputation. He isn’t scrambling to defend himself against the lies. He is simply present before God and speaking truth.

This is what the Resurrection does. It creates people who can receive injustice with grace because they see what the stiff-necked cannot see. Stephen sees the heavens opened. Stephen sees Jesus standing at the right hand of God. The stiff-necked cover their ears and rush to stone him.

One person sees heaven. The others cover their ears. The difference is not intelligence or education. The difference is humility.

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Finally, humility to bow our heads is the only path to keep seeing Pascha’s light.

The Paschal season continues. The Light of the Resurrection still burns bright. But we have to grow in humility to keep seeing it through the regular and even extraordinary challenges of everyday living.

Consider the moments that test humility:

When a family member challenges something you said. When a parishioner questions a decision you made. When your spouse sees a pattern in your behavior that you’ve been unwilling to see. When your children name a wound you caused. When your spiritual father gently names a passion you’ve been protecting. When someone much younger offers a perspective you hadn’t considered.

In each of these moments, the stiff-neck wants to defend, explain, dismiss, or attack. The humble neck bows and says, “Tell me more. I want to learn.”

Stephen’s dying prayer shows us the fruit of a bowed neck: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” He could pray for his murderers because he had spent his life bowing his head to God. When the crisis came, the habit of humility was already formed. He could forgive because he had been formed in forgiveness long before the stones started flying. No matter the injustice or unfairness, Stephen was so free he could see Jesus! He was so free that he could face death in peace. He was so free he could forgive his persecutors!

One of those persecutors was Saul of Tarsus, the future St. Paul the Apostle! Humility can produce fruit that changes the world.

St. Symeon the Holy Martyr, Kinsman of the Lord

Today, we commemorate St. Symeon the Kinsman of the Lord, who succeeded St. James as the second bishop of Jerusalem. According to tradition, he was a relative of the Lord Jesus Christ, possibly a cousin. He led the Jerusalem Church through extraordinary challenges, including the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD.

St. Symeon served as bishop for decades, shepherding the Church through persecution and displacement. Eventually, during the reign of Emperor Trajan, he was arrested and tortured for his faith in Christ. Though he was very old, he endured multiple days of torture without denying the Lord. He was eventually crucified around 107 AD.

St. Symeon teaches us that a lifetime of bowing our heads to God prepares us to bow our heads even at the moment of martyrdom. He had decades to develop the habit of humility. When the test came at the end of his long life, the humility was already deep. The Paschal light still burned bright in him because he had never let pride extinguish it.

Your Response Today

Here is one practice for today. Sometime before evening, pause and ask yourself this question: “Where in my life have I become stiff-necked?”

Don’t rush through this. Consider the relationships where you’ve stopped listening. Consider the opinions you hold that you haven’t examined in years. Consider the areas where you’ve decided you already know what God thinks.

Then pray this prayer, slowly and honestly:

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Humility is not something we achieve. It is something we receive, moment by moment, as we practice bowing our heads. The neck muscles of the soul stay limber only through daily use.

The stiff-necked cover their ears and miss heaven. The humble see heaven opened.

Being Orthodox on Purpose means keeping the neck muscles of your soul limber through daily humility, so you never lose sight of the Paschal light!

A brief note from Fr. Barnabas: Over the coming weeks, I’ll be refining the format of this daily devotional to better serve your spiritual growth. Look for small changes that make each devotional easier to carry with you throughout your day. Your feedback will help shape these improvements. Let me know what you think.

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May the Risen Lord grant you a limber neck and a humble heart, so that you may see heaven opened this day.

P.S. Holy Martyr Symeon, Kinsman of the Lord, you bowed your head to Christ through a lifetime of faithful ministry and at the hour of your martyrdom. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.

For the rest of April, we are celebrating Fr. Barnabas’ birthday, raising support for a new video project. If you’d like to give a Birthday Gift, please click the link below and participate in our new video project.

“The Journey Continues…” Project: creating a teaching series on how to practice your Faith after you convert to Orthodoxy. Topics will include going to confession, wise fasting practices, and setting up your prayer corner at home, plus many more!

Would you consider a Special Birthday Gift to Faith Encouraged for this Project?

Every gift is doubled up to $25,000

Your Tax-deductible gift can be made here - https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/QFKQ4GL6MQBBQ

Fr. Barnabas Powell is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA. He is also the founder of Faith Encouraged Ministries and produces the Faith Encouraged Daily Devotional on Substack. Watch the Faith Encouraged YouTube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@FaithEncouragedTV

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