The year was 1985. Little did I know my prayer would be answered 40 years later!

We had new neighbors down the street. Mike and J.J. Vigil had moved out of state. In their place were new Filipino neighbors, Malcolm and Douglas MacLean.  Malcolm was my younger brother, Eric's age. Douglas was younger and the first one to start the Tamiya obsession in our neighborhood when he bought the Grasshopper, a 1/10 scale remote control buggy. These were the types of R/C cars that required you to build everything from boxes and bags of parts and required lots of tuning and you painted them yourself. They would take easily 6 hours to build with a father's help.

Some of my brothers friends, Scott and Jeff, also got Grasshoppers. But Malcolm eventually got the Hornet, which came out later that year, which was a supercharged version of the Grasshopper. Eric followed, as did some others. 

I watched and learned, and I fell in love with the Frog, known as the Mighty Frog in Japan, where Tamiya originated. It came out in 1984 but was more expensive and more complicated than either the Grasshopper or the Hornet. Unfortunately, it was too expensive and I never got the Frog. Instead, eventually, when visiting my cousin, Dana Genereaux, in 1985, who was my brother's age and also had a Hornet, I got the Pajero, pronounced Pah-Hair-Oh, but I mistakenly pronounced it Puh-Jer-Row. Looking through my cousin's catalogues and magazines, I still wanted that Frog, as it was the best looking RC buggy in my eyes. 

Forty years later similar things happened again. Tamiya still makes these rc cars but have updated the technology over the last four decades. My youngest son, Cyril, wanted the Candy Lime Green Edition of the Grasshopper, and it was a hit. My younger son, Daniel, soon decided that he wanted the Black Edition Grasshopper II, which was a reimagined version of the Grasshopper, that was the equivalent of the Super Hornet, a souped-up version of the original Hornet. Watching the enjoyment Cyril got in building and bashing his car, he wanted to have that same enjoyment. I got them all the best hop-ups to make sure they had the best of the updated features available from both Tamiya and small third-party companies.

Then the moment came. My boys wanted me to get an RC car too, so I could race with them, against their new rc buggies. I eventually agreed, and got a Tamiya Frog re-release as an early birthday and Father's Day gift. I took my time building it over 3 weeks and finally got a chance to drive my dream buggy, forty years later! 

Sometimes God says no to your prayers, but it is, "No, not now, but maybe someday later." I am thankful for this blessing that came 40 years later and is even more appreciated than it would have been back in the day. 

You can see more photos on my instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/vhaidrasaga/

American Christian Nationalism?

American Christian Nationalism is coming up in the news a lot lately. But what does the Church have to say about this movement that seems to have its root in the heresy of phyletism and tribalism? Here are the five Orthodox Christian articles that I was able to find on this pertinent subject that address this from the point of view and instruction from the Orthodox Church Fathers and saints. 

For the Life of the World: Toward a Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church published as an official position statement by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Endorsed by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the New Rome, and All Holy Athos. 




Nationalism is Not Christian by Father Theodore Bobosh of Saint Paul Orthodox Church in the OCA: Orthodox Christian Church in America & regular contributor at OrthoChristian.com. I see this article has been shared on many sites in the Orthodox online world. 




Christian Nationalism [PART ONE], [PART TWO], & [PART THREE] by Father William Olnhausen, of Saint Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church. This blog post has also shared on many other sites, but as with the above, I wanted to share the link to the original. 




Rejoicing in a Nation’s Saints—Without Nationalism by Mother Cornelia, a Russian Orthodox Christian Nun.




Orthodoxy & Nationalism by Dr. Nicholas Sooy of St. Gregory the Theologian Orthodox Church and regular writer in the Orthodox Christian periodical, Jacob's Well, a journal published by the Diocese of New York and New Jersey of the OCA: Orthodox Church in America. 

What articles have you seen about the Orthodox Church's stand on Christian Nationalism, especially the modern movement in the United States of America? 

What Septuagint (Old Testament) to Use for Study?

The Orthodox Church uses the Septuagint over the errant Masoretic Old Testament for many reasons previously mentioned in articles on this blog. See the following blog posts for more on that: 

• "Protestant Myths About the Deuterocanonical Old Testament"
  from 02 August 2010 
  
  
• "The Text of the Orthodox Bible"
  from 25 November 2010 
  
  
• "Metropolitan Isaiah: Which English Translation of the Bible Should I Use?"
  from 29 September 2011 
  
  
• "Why Orthodox Christians Prefer the Septuagint"
  from 10 March 2012 

But if you aren't fluent in Greek, then which English translation should you use for Bible study? While the Lancelot C. L. Brenton Septuagint Version is written in a poetic style like the KJV and NKJV versions of Holy Writ, it is not as good for accuracy, as beauty is the more important goal. 

After decades of studying this, and since Holy Apostles Convent has yet to make an Orthodox Old Testament or a Prophetologion, I have settled on the NETS: A New English Translation of the Septuagint translation. It uses a more wooden literal translation for better understanding like The Orthodox New Testament and The Orthodox Psalter (Psalterion), which makes it worthy for study. 

This is how the translators and editors at the Oxford University Press describe their translation:

"The Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of Jewish sacred writings) is of great importance in the history of both Judaism and Christianity. The first translation of the books of the Hebrew Bible (plus additions) into the common language of the ancient Mediterranean world made the Jewish scriptures accessible to many outside Judaism. Not only did the Septuagint become Holy Writ to Greek speaking Jews but it was also the Bible of the early Christian communities: the scripture they cited and the textual foundation of the early Christian movement.

Translated from Hebrew (and Aramaic) originals in the two centuries before Jesus, the Septuagint provides important information about the history of the text of the Bible. For centuries, scholars have looked to the Septuagint for information about the nature of the text and of how passages and specific words were understood.

For students of the Bible, the New Testament in particular, the study of the Septuagint's influence is a vital part of the history of interpretation. But until now, the Septuagint has not been available to English readers in a modern and accurate translation. The New English Translation of the Septuagint fills this gap."

As an added bonus, the version linked above is the same size as the other aforementioned books, as seen in the photo of one of my bookshelves above.  

Christ Opening the Eyes of the Blind Man through the Works of His Apostles and their Disciples

Just like previously with my physical therapist, my doctor at MyoCore (MyoFascial Release and Chiropractic) and I were talking about the stories behind the stories in the Holy Writ, such as how the reason that Jesus used dirt to make the blind man see was because the blind man was born without eyes and Christ was showing us that he was God by making human organs from the dust, like he did when he created Adam in the Garden of Eden on the sixth day. 

He, being unaware of many of these connections that fascinated by them, asked for 5 or 6 books that would open his eyes to these connections. Thus I suggested the following: 

1. The Orthodox New Testament Volume One: The Holy Gospels (Evangelistarion)
2. The Orthodox New Testament Volume Two: Acts, Epistles, & Revelation (Praxapostolos)
3. The Orthodox Psalter: The Psalterion According to the Seventy, With the Nine Odes, & Patristic Commentary
4. The Lives of the Holy Prophets: The Major & Minor Prophets of the Old Testament
5. The Lives of the Holy Apostles: Saints Peter, Paul, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James, Jude, Simon, Matthias, Mark, Luke, & James
6. The Life of the Virgin Mary, The Theotokos

I also pointed to him to the following three blog articles I wrote on this blog:

1. The Gospel According to Saint John, Chapter Six: A Parallel of the Passover & the Exodus of Israel
2. The Theophanies of Christ in Both the Old & New Testaments
3. Types & Anti-Types in the Holy Bible

If you or anyone you know are interested in the connections of the Old Testament to the New Testament, or the stories behind the stories in the Bible, as explained by the apostles and their disciples, check out these books and articles, which will help you see what perhaps you were once blind to and you too can have your eyes opened like the blind man that Christ healed. 

How Should We Live?

 

Because we all need a reminder from time to time, including myself... 

Luke 3:11 “And answering, he saith to them, ‘The one who hath two tunics, let him share with him who hath not; and the one who hath food, let him do likewise.’” 

Acts 5:32 “And of the multitude of those who believed there was one heart and soul; and not even one of them was saying that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but all things were common to them.”

Acts 5:34 “For neither was there any among them in need; for as many as were owners of lands or houses, selling them, they were bringing the values of those being sold,” 

Romans 15:1-2 “We then who are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. For let each of us be pleasing his neighbor for the good, toward building up.”

Iakovos (James) 2:15-16 “Now if a brother or sister be naked and wanting of daily food, and any of you should say to them, ‘Go in peace, warm yourselves and feed yourselves,’ but ye give them not the necessities of the body, what is the profit?”

The above quotes are taken from The Orthodox New Testament:  Volume 1, The Holy Gospels, Evangelistarion & The Orthodox New Testament: Volume 2, Acts, Epistles, and Revelation, Praxapostolos. 

More on Some of You Wrongly Trying to Elevate Worldly National Politics to Dogma

Just a few reminders from the Holy Writ, which you should be holding above that of politicians, if you are a Christian, even if only in name. I offer these quotes without commentary, as they should be clear to anyone that this vile gnashing of teeth over politicians as if they were saviours to you, your land, your city, your state, your country, and the world is contrary to the teachings of the Church and thus, Antichrist behaviours which you should repent of. I say this, having once been guilty of this same mortal sin. 

The following quote is from The Orthodox Psalter with Commentary (Psalterion): 

Psalm 145:2 (146:2) Do not have trust in rulers, in sons of men, in whom there is no salvation. 

The following quote is from The Orthodox Study Bible: 

1st Kingdoms (1 Samuel) 12:19 And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves.” 

The following quotes are taken from The Orthodox New Testament: Acts, Epistles, and Revelation, Volume 2: 

Romans 12:14 Keep on blessing those who persecute you; keep on blessing, and not cursing. 

Romans 13:1-7 Let every soul be subject to authorities which govern. For there is no authority except from God. So that the one who sets himself against the authority hath withstood the ordinance of God; and they who have withstood shall receive judgement to themselves. For the rulers are not a terror to good works, but to bad ones. And dost thou wish not to be afraid of the authority? Be doing that which is good, and thou shalt have praise from the same. For he is a minister of God to thee for the good. But if thou be doing evil, be afraid; for not in vain doth he bear the sword, for he is a minister of God, an avenger for wrath to the one who practiceth that which is bad. Wherefore it is necessary to be subject, not only because of wrath, but also because of the conscience. For on this account ye also pay tributes; for they are public workers of God, persevering for this same thing. Render then to all their dues: to whom the tribute is due, the tribute; to whom the customs duty, the toll; to whom the fear, the fear; to whom the honor, the honor. 

Titus 3:1-2 Be reminding them to submit themselves to rulers and authorities, to obey a superior, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to not be contentious, but equitable, showing forth meekness toward all men. 

Hebrews 13:17 Be obedient to those who lead you, and keep on submitting, for they are watchful for your souls, as those about to render an account, that they may do this with joy, and not groaning; for this would be unprofitable for you. 

Iakovos (James) 1:26-27 If anyone among you seem to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue, but deceivith his heart, the religion of this one is vain. Religion pure and undefiled before the God and Father is this: to visit the orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. 

1 Peter 2:13-25 Therefore be subject to every human institution for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as being supreme, or to the governors, as being sent by him indeed for punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good; for so is the will of God that by doing good ye may muzzle the ignorance of foolish men— as free, and not as those who are having freedom as a cloak of wickedness, but as slaves of God. Honor all, be loving the brotherhood, be fearing God, be honoring the king. Household slaves, be subject in all fear to your masters, not only to the good and fair, but also to the crooked. For this is a grace if for the sake of conscience toward God anyone endure griefs, suffering unjustly. For what kind of good report is it if, when ye sin and are buffeted, ye shall endure? But if, when ye do good and suffer, ye endure, this is a grace from God. For to this ye were called,  because Christ also suffered for us, leaving behind for you an example, that ye should follow His footsteps: "Who did not sin, neither was guile found in His mouth"; "Who, when He was reviled, reviled not in return; when He suffered, He threatened not, but kept on giving Himself over to Him Who judgeth righteously; Who "Himself carried up our sins" in His body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, should live to righteousness—by Whose bruise "ye were healed." For ye were "as sheep being led astray," but were turned about now to the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. 

I'm so Sick and Tired...

 ...too many people, not only Orthodox Christians, but people who declare any faith, or even no faith at all, have made it clear their one and only true religion. It is, sickeningly, whatever their political party tells them to believe. Their only 'saviour' is their favoured political candidate. 

It should be clear to any person of faith, that neither American party of the duopoly teaches the same as the Bible. Each pick and choose parts to say that they do, and show how their opponents' teach the opposite, but as politics prove time and time, politicians and political parties cannot be trusted. 

"Do not have trust in rulers, in sons of men, in whom there is no salvation." 

-Psalm 145(146):3

Bible verse comes from THE ORTHODOX PSALTER: THE PSALTERION OF THE PROPHET AND KING DAVID, With the NINE ODES and the interpretation of how the Psalterion ought to be recited during the whole year Translated into English from the Greek according to the Seventy, and compiled, arranged, and versified according to the Greek Psalterion, including Patristic Commentary.