DECEMBER 2022 KOINOTIS

Because God does not want the basis of our knowledge to come from just any source, God wants our knowledge
to come from what He reveals to us through the Gospels, in church, from our bible. He wants us, as His managers/stewards,
to cultivate and grow what He has given us based on the knowledge He is trying to teach us, not
information that we get from the internet. But nowadays we spend most of our days on the internet, and very little,
if at all, learning from God.
Our world is in chaos today because people are living their lives based on the internet, rather than the revealed
will of God. So as a manager of God’s kingdom, you are free to mess up the garden, or mess up your life
or mess up your family or mess up the world, and just because you were created by God doesn’t mean you don't
have the freedom to be a bad manager.
It is close to impossible to cultivate and grow what you have been given if you don’t mirror God. God has
given us this church, this community, our family - to cultivate it, grow it, to bring out its full potential. A lot of us
have good motives but are making bad decisions because it's not coming from our steward relationship, it's because
we think we have the right to make decisions without the input of the owner, our God.
We are the caretakers of God's property. Our time, our talents, our treasures - it’s all God’s. How well
have you managed your time? Your talents? A year ago, I had a very full life- a new home, new job, new baby,
newly married - all these changes took up a lot of my attention. It was around that time that Father Anthony
asked me if I would consider being on the parish council, and at first, all I had were excuses. Excuses are easy to
find. There is no time; I’ll do it next year; It’s going to take away from my family.
But instead of allowing these excuses to determine our answers, pray to God and listen to what He is telling
you. Personally, I realized God called me to give of my time and of my blessings. He has given me so much
to manage and in return, he merely asked that I perform a service for the church. I thought it would be an added
burden to serve the church, but since being on the parish council, it’s strengthened my relationship to God and to
our community and it’s helped me realize how listening to God and what He calls me to do rewards me in ways I
couldn’t have realized.
God says, if you want the full expression of me, working in your life, give up ownership - let go of the
excuses.
So, the question is, will you give up ownership in terms of God, become a manager and find out what
God wants in every area that is under your responsibility? Give Him permission to use all that He’s given you to
unleash the potential of all you are, all you have, and all that you are responsible for.
Because if you are, then watch what He does in your life, in your world, for your good.
Και στα Ελληνικά...
Αγαπητοί αδελφοί και αδελφές, θέλω να μοιραστώ μερικά λόγια μαζί σας σήμερα από ένα κήρυγμα που
άκουσα πριν από λίγο καιρό που με επηρέασε πάρα πολύ. Στο σημερινό Ευαγγέλιο, ο ανόητος άνθρωπος είχε
καλλιεργήσει τόσες πολλές καλλιέργειες που δεν είχε πού να τις αποθηκεύσει και σκέφτηκε ότι έπρεπε να χτύσει
έναν μεγαλύτερο αχυρώνα για να τις αποθηκεύσει. Ο Θεός τον αποκάλεσε ανόητο, γιατί σήμερα ήταν η
τελευταία μέρα στη ζωή και σε ποιον θα ανήκει τότε η σοδειά του;
(Α' Κορινθίους - κεφάλαιο 4 εδάφιο 7) Ο Θεός λέει - "Τι έχεις που δεν έλαβες;" ΤΙΠΟΤΑ! Τότε γιατί
καυχιέσαι σαν να ήρθε από σένα; Γιατί το αποθηκεύεις σαν να είναι όλο δικό σου;
Ο Θεός έχει την ιδιοκτησία ΟΛΗΣ της δημιουργίας. Το ξέρουμε όλοι αυτό.
Έτσι, αν ο Θεός κατέχει τα πάντα, εσείς και εγώ δεν έχουμε τίποτα.
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