Be Transfigured - Live a New Life in Christ

[Срђан Ранђеловић]

 

Welcome to Be Transfigured! where we invite you to live a new life in Christ. Here at Be Transfigured you will find our weekly sermon from Florence, SC, our LIVE Bible Studies and others sermons, Bible studies, and special presentations.

 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvLW0Gbs3MfebUhW3heVW_Q

 

Више о раду оца Атанасија на адреси http://www.liveanewlifeinchrist.org/.

[Иван Ивковић]

Don't Allow Pain and Suffering to Distract You from God

Sometimes the pain of life can seem unbearable. Sometimes you are tempted to dwell upon your pain and suffering rather than the promise of God that you will live forever. The reality is, despite all the pain and suffering in this life, God promised that so long as you keep your focus on Him, you will not only be healed, but will live forever. Are you ready to trust God enough to not allow your pain and suffering to distract you from His promise?

 

 

https://plus.google.com/u/0/118010757875329052698/posts

[Иван Ивковић]

God Wants You to be a Martyr

In a day when our world is frantically searching wealth and honor, Christians are daily called to choose between worldly priorities and a Godly life. Your willingness to live the faith of Christ through the choices of your life reflects the importance of God in your life, and will be a witness of your faith to those around you. You are a living martyr when you allow others to see your commitment to Christ in your choices, and your martyrdom will draw others to Christ in the same way martyrs drew believers to Christ. Are you willing, or even wanting, to allow your choices to be a martyr for Christ?

 

[Иван Ивковић]

The Touch of God

Many people think they don’t need to walk into a Church to encounter God, but you can only touch God in His Church. God could have called down from Heaven and forgiven all sins and welcomed humanity back into Paradise, but He chose instead to take on flesh and touch humanity. There are many ways to call out to God, but only one way to touch Him. When the Precious Body and Blood of Christ touches your lips, your sins are forgiven and you are healed, because the touch of God heals and you live forever.

 

[Иван Ивковић]

Avoiding the Torment of Hell

Nobody can deny that we will all eventually die, so it should be no surprise that Our Lord has provided many opportunities for us to better understand what we should expect. One example of how we learn about our eternal future is through parables. In the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus found in the Gospel of Luke 16.19-31, Christ helps us to see that the condition of our heart will have a direct impact on how we will experience eternity with Him. If we want to avoid the torment of hell described for the rich man, we must learn to see others with love and compassion, but time is clicking. We have only until we die to change our hearts. We must take full advantage of every opportunity for our hearts to learn to love others by serving the poor with love and compassion. If we continue with a cold and selfish heart, our eternal future will be consumed with torment.

 

[Иван Ивковић]

Suffering

Why does God allow suffering? Everyone knows firsthand that people suffer, but do they have to suffer to be “good” Christians? What’s so wrong with trying to avoid suffering? Why not strive for a life without suffering? While everyone experiences suffering, nobody enjoys it, but God blesses it especially when we endure it patiently with faith and prayer. With the story of the healing of the woman with the flow of blood and the raising of Jairus’ daughter as our “backdrop”, this week’s episode of Be Transfigured will look at suffering and why God allows it and but rarely allows miracles.

 

[Иван Ивковић]

Being Convicted by the Gospel

The Gospel of Christ is a comfort to sinners but can convict the righteous. The invitation of Christ for all sinners to join Him at the Table, is a comfort to when acknowledge our sinfulness, but it is should also convict us to repentance. Christ has given us His Church as therapy to draw closer to Jesus Christ, yet many who claim to believe, do not embrace the way of life in the Church. If you truly desire to draw closer to God, then be comforted that He has welcomed you to His Table, but be convicted and embrace the way of life He has given to you for repentance. Draw near to God.

 

[ivona]

When Politics Becomes Spiritual

 

There is a temptation in American politics to separate our spiritual lives from our political lives. It is growing ever popular to hear self-proclaimed devout Christian politicians championing policies theoretically in opposition to their personal spiritual beliefs. There is no limit, politically speaking, to this trend as it exists “on both sides of the aisle” of Washington, D.C. But have you ever wondered what would happen if politics DID become spiritual?

 

Realistically speaking it is impossible for our spiritual journey NOT to interfere with our politics, but political hypocrisy may not be as rampant as some may think. Every human struggles with the same fallen reality, and the temptation to please the self rather than God and others. It is why Jesus Christ commanded us to deny ourselves if we desired to follow Him. Until we can stop the focus on ourselves, we cannot begin to focus upon Him. The “self” is where ALL POLITICS is spiritual.

 

Politicians are nothing more than a skilled sales force, and the product they are selling, is power and control. Everyone seems to want it, and will do anything to get it. So, when a politician offers it, the votes just come rolling in. Who could blame a sales force for altering the sales pitch if product isn’t moving off the shelves? And who would blame a manufacturer for making changes to a product to keep it “fresh” in front of the consumer. Shoe styles change, so why shouldn’t political styles. Sales is sales.

 

Over the years certain products “go out of fashion” and are ultimately removed from the marketplace. When was the last time you saw a LeCar driving down your street? The consumer is in total control over what product remain popular. The more the consumer wants to buy, the more items are made. They call it supply and demand in business school. THAT’s where you and I come in...

You are I are the consumers of politics. If the sales force is successful in moving product, it is because we are the ones buying it. Consider the last the political movement that you purchased. Was it not in some way a bit of control and power over something or someone? And this is why politics is spiritual...

 

Since we continue to struggle with our fallen condition, and serving our selfish desires, what we “buy” in politics is integral to our spiritual journey. If we seek power and control, we will purchase more of it from the “sales force” offering more of it on the ballot. Every candidate is selling it, so what brand we purchase makes little difference to the sales force. Of course, every sales pitch comes with incentives. Power and control with a bit of “cash back” thrown in, and the shelves empty - the trifecta of politics.

 

As Orthodox Christians currently in the Nativity Fast, and with Thanksgiving just a few days away, we should take more seriously our spiritual struggle of selfish desire. This is the perfect opportunity, through increased prayer and fasting and serving to poor, to work to defeat our selfishness rather than sell it to the nearest politician. Something to think about during the Fast.

 

visit this blog

http://www.liveanewlifeinchrist.org/2014/11/when-politics-becomes-spiritual.html

 

[Иван Ивковић]

Trust Leads to Peace

In the Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12.16-21) we witness the result of a life void of peace. Rather than trusting that God would provide for his family, the rich farmer panicked, tore down his already filled barns and was about to build new larger barns when God called him. When we are unable to trust in God’s willingness or abilities to provide for the needs of our family, we run the risk of living in fear rather than peace. God has given us numerous reasons to trust Him, even offering us the chance to test our trust in Him. This week’s episode offers a chance to learn to trust God, and experience for yourself, that trust leads to peace.

 

[Иван Ивковић]

Come and See....There is Good News on the Horizon

When the Apostle Andrew saw Jesus Christ for the first time, he couldn’t help but run to his brother Simon Peter and tell him the Good News. “We have seen the Messiah!” The Apostles joyfully spread the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout the world, even though their personal lives were filled with pain and suffering. Each of the Apostles, with the exception of Saint John the Theologian was martyred for sharing the Good News. Sometimes we wonder....is the news really good? Just like the lives of the Holy Apostles, our lives are filled with pain and suffering, and we might wonder why Saint Paul told us to imitate him. The truth is that God has saved us from this pain and suffering and promised a NEW life with Him in Heaven. We haven’t been saved for this world; we have been saved from this world. All our pain and suffering is temporary. There’s Good News on the horizon; Come and See!

 

[Иван Ивковић]

Your Sins are Forgiven

It goes without saying that the trials of life can weigh a person down. As every day passes, the weight of each small sin and mistake, takes its toll on our backs as we feel our burdens heavy upon our shoulders. Bent over under all the pressure, we just can’t seem to find the strength to look up at God and sing His praise. We may even be ashamed by some of our decisions in life, and we can’t lift ourselves up without God’s healing touch. We all enjoy hearing the words, “Your sins are forgiven,” from our Lord, and we all desire even more the healing touch of our Lord’s hand. Thankfully He has given us His Church and the Holy Sacraments through which we can feel His touch, and through the hands of our Father Confessor, we can not only feel God’s Grace, we can hear the words, “Your sins are forgiven,” and we can finally lift our eyes to God and give Him praise and thanks.

 

[Иван Ивковић]

Excuses... Excuses... Excuses...

We have all heard them, and we have all used them. Excuses are a convenient way for us to “get out of” doing something we don’t want to do, or going somewhere we don’t want to go. But when God invites you to join Him, it’s time to put the excuses aside and join Him. Don’t be left behind when the ship sails, just because you have an excuse. Otherwise, you will hear the Lord say, “None of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.” Don’t watch the ship sail away on the horizon. Put your excuses aside and live the life Christ has for you in His Church.

 

 

[Иван Ивковић]

What is Righteousness?

Just days before Christmas, the Church invites us to consider the righteousness of Abraham and Joseph the betrothed of Mary. These two holy ancestors of God lived their life dedicated and loyal to the promise of God, despite the reality they never set their eyes on God’s promise. The Birth of God ushers in the beginning of God’s fulfillment for an end to death and beginning of a new eternal life in Christ. Though Abraham and Joseph never witnessed the fulfillment of God’s Kingdom, we too may not witness the fullness of the Kingdom, but we are called to be righteous. God will fulfill His promise, and our willingness to embrace the righteousness of Abraham and Joseph, will prepare us to receive the fullness of God’s eternal comfort and love. Do YOU have what it takes to be righteous this Christmas?

 

[Иван Ивковић]

A Savior has been Born so that We may be Rescued

Many people approach Christmas exhausted from the weeks of holiday parties and shopping, but they miss the joy of birth of their Savior. Jesus Christ has been born so that He might rescue us from the hectic and painful life, and bring us to something better, life with Him in Heaven. If only we can follow the example of the shepherds who left their work to go and meet the Lord, we too could join our voices with the angels and sing, “Glory to God in the Highest!”

 

[Иван Ивковић]

2015 - The Year of Repentance!

 

Today is another day to be thankful to God that you have been given another day to repent. Here at Be Transfigured we are declaring 2015 as, "The Year of Repentance" so let's get started!

Jesus' first sermon was "Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (Matthew 4.17)

John the Baptist began his public ministry crying out, "Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 3.2)

So I suppose we are in good company. What are you waiting for!?