Written by Andrew M | 18 September 2009
Posted in Ontario - COSA - U of T

Everyone knows the story of Joseph and the famous verse in Genesis 39:2 (mentioned in the title) but an extremely important aspect of Joseph's success passes many people by. In order to understand and apply this verse truly we must comprehend its context and its background.

Brief Background

Joseph was living in his father's house as the select member among his brothers. Then he was sold as a slave by his own brothers who initially planned to kill him until Reuben convinced them otherwise (Genesis 37). Then he was chosen as a servant for Pharoah's chief steward; Potiphar. Following a prosperous period in Egypt, Joseph became Potophar's chief steward. Then the verse is mentioned "The Lord was with Joseph...). If we continue reading in Genesis, we find it is an interesting time that this verse is because the next period of Joseph's life did not seem successful at all by any definition of the word. He was enticed by Potiphar's wife to lie with her in exchange for his freedom, he refused and was accused of forcing himself upon her. This was a crime worthy of death for an Egyptian let alone a slave. However, Joseph never stopped praying or continuing his relationship with God. He remained in jail approximately nine years before being released on a condition. His condition was to interpret Pharoah's dreams. Had he given the wrong interpretation, he would have been executed. No pressure, right? He maintained his composure however and knew that God would reveal the dreams. Then of course he became the second man in all of Egypt even above Potiphar and only behind Pharoah.

Succes in our lives

In our lives then, we must understand our role in the enormous plan. Joseph had to wait quite a long time in order for him to improve his position. He was like a prince in his father's house before becoming a slave in a foreign land where the people neither knew his God nor treated him well. He then became a prisoner which was then an even worse predicament. Despite all that, Joseph knew that he had to stay with God. He knew that even though Potiphar's wife offered him freedom, sin was an abomination before God. When the Holy Book says that Joseph was successful, it was not because of a prestigious position but it is because the Lord was with him.

Similarly in our lives, we face many obstacles and barriers. The "brothers" in our lives could be friends or people that are close to us that sometimes seem like they give us away to the world. Potiphar's wife could be the person or people in the world that promise to give us "freedom" whatever that may be in the context of the world in exchange for compromising our values and beliefs. However, the true success is keeping a personal relationship with God and keeping an active conscience. That way we can say with Jospeh: "How can we do this great wickedness and sin against God?" (Genesis 39:9) It is clear that the Lord intended us to be different for the Lord Christ proclaims in the gospel according to St. John, "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you (John 15:19). Since we were meant to be different, we need to think and act differently. We need to offer kindness and compassion in a world where those two resources appear to be running scarce. We need to really have intimacy with God and strive to "fight the good fight" (1 Timothy 6:12) and maintain our integriy even in distress.

Success conclusively

Living a successful life is not about finishing the top in our classes or with an honour's degree. It is not about having the most prestigious job and most glamorous possessions as a result. That is what the world wants us to think. But as is often the case, the ideas of the world and the Lord's will are at an odds. Abiding by God's plan for us and having patience to comply, like Joseph is success. I doubt that Joseph had the most glamorous clothes in his nine years in jail, yet he was the most successful man in Egypt. Similarly, we must be patient and we have no excuses because I do not know anyone that was sold as a slave by his own brothers or stayed nine years in jail. This day then, we must start freshly and choose to walk with God. A famous Christian song states, "Today I choose to walk with You". As the Lord was with Joseph and he was a successful man, the Lord will be with us and we will become successful men and women. We have attained success the day we make the choice to be with the Lord. For as the Lord was with Joseph, surely Joseph must have been with the Lord.

 

We ask the Lord grant us success and a spirit of ministry and that our club may prosper as everything Joseph touched flourished. We ask in Christ's name through the intercessions of the Holy Virgin Mary and the choir of saints, Amen.

Glory be to the Holy Trinity, One God, now and forever, Amen.

Written by Andrew M | 01 July 2009
Posted in Ontario - CCSA - U of T

There was once a very poor man who sat at the edge of the city and begged. His clothes were torn and he had no particular skills to find himself a job. In the very same city, there was a very well known priest and everyone in the city loved him. He had a sufficient amount of money to pay for whatever he required. Furthermore, he was so admired by everyone that he rarely needed a lot of money. The people in the city would help him out with whatever he needed.

One time, the priest was passing by the city and he took notice of this poor beggar. The priest asked the poor man if he required anything. The poor man replied that for any amount of change, he would be very grateful. However, the priest could not see how the change would help the poor beggar, so he leant down to help the man up. The priest told him that he owned a little cottage-like station secondary to his house and no one lived there at the moment. He told the poor man that he could live there. It was not very spacious but it was definitely adequate for the man to live.

As they entered the cottage-house, the priest gathered a change of clothes for the beggar to wear. He told the poor man he had an errand to run, but if he required anything he could call the priest at a special phone line. He told him if he needed anything, from any store, to enter and take it and tell the vendor that Abouna would pay for it and that it could be placed on Abouna's tab.

The poor man was not very convinced of this "tab" so he decided to test it out with a minor purchase. He walked in a candy store, and picked up a small candy bar. When the store owner came to charge him, the poor man replied "Abouna will pay for it". The store owner smiled and said' "Have a nice day, and please send my greetings to Abouna". The poor man was elated that this account would work so he started getting larger purchases. He entered into the clothing store and picked up a pair of jeans. Then, he went into the grocery store and purchased a myriad of groceries. Since, everything was working out; he went to a dealership and asked the man working at the dealership if he could finance the car. When the dealer found it was using Abouna's account, he gladly agreed and let the man drive away with the car.

Soon enough, this man, who started out as a beggar, had purchased a business, a car, a whole line of clothes and groceries. He even had his own secretary. Each time the priest came back into town, he went in to settle the account with each vendor and paid for each of the purchases.

A season later, Abouna came into this large house to see the man he had helped (formerly the beggar). Abouna found a secretary and bodyguards standing on the door. The bodyguards stopped Abouna at the door and told him he had to have an appointment first. When Abouna went to speak to the secretary, she told him he had to wait so she could go talk to the business owner who had formerly been poor. When she told the business owner who it was and that the priest said it was urgent, the business owner told her to reply that he was extremely busy and that he could not be disturbed. He needed whatever extra time he had so he could sleep because his "job" was overwhelming.

When the secretary came out and told Abouna this, Abouna walked in to the man's room anyway and scolded him. He said, "You were formerly a beggar and you used my account to purchase all of what you have today. You became a respectful man using what I have paid. It is only rightful that you go back to the edge of the city and beg as you formerly did."

The priest in this story refers to our King and Master, Jesus Christ. The psalmist says that the Lord symbolizes the priest that visited Abraham, "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." (Psalm 110:4)

We are the beggars. The Lord has given us so much and has paid for our salvation through His blood. Everything we own and every talent we possess is from Him. A famous prayer uttered by King David when he was preparing materials for the temple of God states:

“ For all things come from You, And of Your own we have given You.” (1 Chronicles 29:14). Similarly, we must always remember that whatever talents we possess, we must try to give back even a portion for the very talents we use are given to us by God.

 

It is a shame that when sometimes the Lord gives us a lot of success, we find ourselves too busy to pray or to read the Bible. On the other hand, when we are in distress, we remember the Lord and humble ourselves so that He could help us. The story above teaches us that we must find time to pray and strengthen our relationships with God when our lives are going well or poorly. In fact we should pray continuously. The Good Book says, “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

In conclusion, we should never retract ourselves away from God because He provides us with our every need. If we happen to grow in success in our own eyes, it is imperative that we remember the Lord’s love is what got us there lest we forget His mercy as the poor beggar did in the story.

 

Written by Maryam Demian | 16 June 2009
Posted in Ontario - CCSA - U of T

+ Prayer Before Studying +

Most blessed Lord, send the grace of Your Holy Spirit on me to strengthen me that I may learn well the subject I am about to study and by it become a better person for Your glory, the comfort of my family and the benefit of Your Church and our Nation. Amen

 

+ Prayer After Studying +

I thank You, Lord our God, that again on this occasion You have opened my eyes to the light of Your wisdom. Bless my soul and body, my words and deeds. Enable me to grow in grace, virtue and good habits, that Your name may be glorified, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

(www.st-takla.org)

Written by Andrew M. | 13 January 2009
Posted in Ontario - CCSA - U of T

Sometimes it is very difficult to stay optimistic and to maintain a complete and pure faith when facing adversity. However, the Bible offers endless promises and God reassures us time and time again that He will see us through. There are many times when we are almost left to nothing but prayer. But if we consider that the power of prayer moved a mountain before and split the oceans, having nothing but prayer is not such a bad thing. Surely in comparison to such unlikely feats, we can be reassured that our exams and stressful positions pale in comparison to the fiery furnace, the splitting of the Red Sea, being placed in the Lion’s den and having to move a mountain to maintain the Coptic lineage. Hopefully, through God’s grace, we can remember some of the promises and meditations mentioned in this guide and countless more within the Bible.

When Entering Exam room and Receiving Exam paper:

“I will put the Lord before me because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved” (Psalm 16:8). We should be so confident when God is with us. His right hand was glorious in power with the Israelites and it dashed the enemy in pieces. So will His right hand dash our exams and questions in pieces when we start our examinations by uttering this verse.

When Feeling you have Persevered and Found no Result or Feel Hopeless

“Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing, nevertheless at your word I will cast down the net.” (Luke 5:5). Peter was possibly the most experienced fisherman in all the land. He spent a whole night striving with no result in order to provide necessities for his family. This was a crisis for a fisherman to catch no fish in over a day’s and a full night's work. However, his talent, experience, and even strenuous effort resulted to nothing but it was Christ’s word that provided an enormous catch of fish. Seemingly, we must remember that it is not our effort that envelopes results but it is His blessing and His word. Therefore, we should not be discouraged because He will provide if we pray this verse faithfully.

When the Task is Daunting

“My grace is sufficient for you for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9). And “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13). St. Paul was ailing and prayed earnestly that God would remove his calamity because St. Paul feared he could no longer continue his ministry. However, the Lord answered him with the first verse (My grace is sufficient for you...) reminding Paul that his own health had nothing to do with the success of his ministry. Even in his ailment, Christ worked through him and he became one of the greatest ministers of Christianity ever. Similarly, we should remember these two phrases because sometimes we feel weak and unable to comprehend our material. We even sometimes end up in a position where it is impossible to accomplish what we want and have our backs to the corner. We must be reminded that He works through our weakness when we pray rather than when we say we are all-knowing and portray arrogance. Our strength and pride are through Christ who strengthens us.

When feeling Alone

“As I was with Moses, so I am also with you... I will not leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5; 3:7).  Joshua was placed in a very precarious and compromising position when he was left to lead the Israelites after Moses died. Before Joshua was this great leader and prophet whom the people respected and revered. Then succeeding him was this young man whom no one knew much about and was even called the Son of Nun (pronounced “none”); Joshua. Joshua was assigned with the thankless task of leading his people through the Jordan River, past their strong enemy Jericho and into the Promised Land- a task even the great Moses failed to complete. Despite the dissent of the people and their fear, Joshua prayed and proceeded as planned. Upon hearing God’s response (the aforementioned verse above), Joshua went forward with all faith and followed God’s commandments to the letter. Because of his obedience and trust, Joshua lived up to his name which means “Saviour” carrying the very important namesake in Hebrew (for Jesus is also called Joshua in Hebrew). As the Lord was with Moses and Joshua, so He is also with us all. In that manner, He will make us great leaders within our own households and communities if we just trust in His words and know for sure He will not forsake us as we need to proceed with our daily lives.

May God grant success and Joy to our Coptic club this New Year and personal accomplishment for all its members. Moreover, we pray for the success of all Coptic clubs within Ontario and other provinces. We pray for the Coptic church, all Christians and all people. We pray that we can remember God’s promises for us and know we are safe within any situation. No matter how difficult the tasks get even with our hair-greying exams (we all know how wonderful our university is), we can always be confident in our Lord. “Don’t tell God how great your problem is; tell the problem how great your God is.”

Glory be to the Holy Trinity, now and unto the end of the ages, Amen.

Written by Sim SimA | 19 November 2008
Posted in Ontario - CCSA - U of T

Sometimes we think God's only around when things are great
Yet we only seek him when times get rough
Let us remember that as scripture tells us, Your thoughts are not our thoughts, nor Your ways our ways.
And if, O Lord, something that we see as hardship is part of Your ways, give us the strength to accept it with all thanksgiving.
Help us to come to you with our concerns understanding nothing is too small to ask of You, or to big to be done by You.
Above all strengthen our faith our communion with you and your believers, that we may share in the inheritance of Your eternal Love,
In Christ Jesus' name we pray

Written by Servant | 02 November 2008
Posted in Ontario - CSF - UOIT

"God does not measure any service with the measure of the numbers.. but rather by the number of those who are actually renewed and saved."

Read more...

Written by Mina (CCSA- York) | 27 October 2008
Posted in Ontario - CCSA - York

Written by Sami Botros (CCSA - U of T) | 03 October 2008
Posted in Ontario - CCSA - U of T

Dear Beloved, Blessed and Heavenly Father, thank You for adopting me as one of Your children. Please, My Lord, help me not to be deceived by the ways and the teachings of this world. Help me to put You as the Foundation in my life; in all that I do, all that I learn, all that I see, and all that I come to understand. My Dear Lord, guide my thoughts and my perceptions so that I may see all things through You.    Amen

Written by Rami | 07 July 2008
Posted in Ontario - COSA - U of T

Those who believe they believe in God but without passion in the heart, without anguish of mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, and even at times without despair, believe only in the idea of God, and not in God Himself.

Madeleine L'Engle, Author & Christian

Written by Fr. Andrew Murray, 1885 | 07 July 2008
Posted in Ontario - COSA - U of T

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another" John 13:34,35.

"Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law" Romans 13:10.

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us" I John 4:11,12.

In the word of Micah, righteousness is the first thing which God demands. To love mercy is the second. Righteousness stood more in the foreground in the Old Testament. Love is first seen as supreme in the New Testament. Passages to this effect are not difficult to find. In the advent of Jesus, the love of God is first revealed, the new, eternal life is first given, and we become children of the Father and kindred to each other. On this ground the Lord can then, for the first time, speak of the New Commandment--the commandment of brotherly love. Righteousness is not required less in the New Testament than in the Old.1 Yet the burden of the New Testament is that we have been given a power for love which was unattainable in the early days.2

Let every Christian take it deeply to heart that in the first and the great commandment--the new commandment given by Jesus at His departure--the unique characteristic of a disciple of Jesus is brotherly love. And let him, with his whole heart, yield himself to Him to obey that command. For the right exercise of this brotherly love, one must pay attention to more than one thing.

Love of the brethren arises from the love of the Father. By the Holy Spirit, the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, and the wonderful love of the Father is unveiled to us, so that His love becomes the life and the joy of our soul. Our love of God springs out of the fountain of His love for us.3 And our love of Him naturally causes us to love the brethren.4 Do not attempt to fulfil the commandment of brotherly love by yourselves--you are not in a position to do this. But believe that the Holy Spirit, who is in you to make known the love of God to you, also certainly enables you to yield this love. Never say, "I feel no love. I do not feel as if I can forgive this man." Your decision to act should not be based on feelings. Rather, it is your duty to believe the command and to have faith in God to give you the power with which to obey the command. In obedience to the Father--with the choice of your will, and in faith that the Holy Spirit gives you power--begin to say, "I will love him. I do love him." The feeling will follow the faith. Grace gives power for all that the Father asks of you.5

Brotherly love has its measure and rule in the love of Jesus. "This is My commandment, that yea love one another, as I have loved you."6 The eternal life that works in us is the life of Jesus. It knows no other law than what we see in Him. It works with power in us what it worked in Him. Jesus Himself lives in us, and loves in and through us. We must believe in the power of this love in us, and, in that faith, love as He loved. Do believe that this is true salvation--to love even as Jesus loves.

Brotherly love must be in deed and in truth.7 It is not mere feeling. The power in Christ arises from faith which works by love. It manifests itself in all the Christ-like characteristics that are specified in the Word of God. Contemplate its glorious image in 1 Corinthians I3:4-7. Notice all the glorious encouragements to gentleness, to longsuffering, to mercy.8 In all your conduct, let it be seen that the love of Christ lives in you. Let your love be a helpful, self-sacrificing love--like that of Jesus. Hold all children of God, however sinful or wrong they may be, fervently dear. Let your love for them teach you to love all men.9 Show your family, the Church, and the world that within you "love is greatest" (1 Corinthians 13:13). Show all that the love of God has a full dwelling and a free working in your life.

Christian, God is love. Jesus is the gift of this love-to bring love to you, to transplant you into that life of godlike love. Live in that faith, and you will not complain that you have no power to love. The love of the Spirit will be your power and your life.

Beloved Saviour, I discern more clearly that the whole of the new life is a life in love. You are the Son of God's love--the gift of His love--who has come to introduce us into His love, and give us a dwelling there. And the Holy Spirit is given to shed abroad the love of God in our hearts, to open a spring out of which love will stream to You and to the believers and to all mankind. Lord, here am I, one redeemed by love, to live for it and, in its might, to love all. Amen.


Footnotes
1) Matt. 5:6,17,20; 6:33
2) Rom. 5:5; Gal. 5:22; 1 Thess. 4:9; 1 John 4:11; John 13:34
3) Rom. 5:5; 1 John 4:19
4) Eph. 4:2,6; 5:1,2; 1 John 3:1; 4:7,20; 5:1
5) Matt. 5:44,45; Gal. 2:20; 1 Thess. 3:12,13; 5:24; Phil. 4:13; 1
Pet. 1:22
6) Luke 22:26,27; John 13:14,15,34; Col. 2:13
7) Matt. 12:50; 25:40; Rom. 13:10; 1 Cor. 7:19; Gal. 5:6; Jas.
2:15,16; 1 John 3:16,17,18
8) Gal. 5:22; Eph. 4:2,32; Phil. 2:2,3; Col. 3:12; 2 Thess. 1:3
9) Luke 6:32,35; 1 Pet. 1:22; 2 Pet. 1:7

<u>Notes:</u>
1. Those who reject the Word of God sometimes say that it is of no importance what we believe if we but have love, and so they are for making love the one condition of salvation. In their zeal against this view, the orthodox party have sometimes presented faith in justification, as if love were not of so much importance. This is likely to be very dangerous. God is love. His Son is the gift, the bringer, of His love to us. The Spirit sheds the love of God in the heart. The new life is a life in love. Love is the greatest thing. Let it be the chief element in our life--true love which is known in the keeping of God's commandments (see 1 John 3:10,23,24; 5:2).

2. Do not wonder why I have said that you must love even though you do not feel the least bit of love. Not the feeling, but the will, is your power. It is not in your feeling, but in your faith, that the Spirit in you is the power of your will to work in you all that the Father bids you. Therefore, although you feel absolutely no love for your enemy, say in the obedience of faith, "Father, I love him; in faith in the hidden working of the Spirit in my heart, I do love him.

3. Do not think that this is love, if you wish no evil to anyone, or if you should be willing to help, if he were in need. No, love is much more. Love is His love. Love is the disposition with which God addressed you when you were His enemy, and afterward ran to you with tender longing to caress you.