Now Playing Tracks

gospelofthekingdom:

So cool to hear the story from a man who has had a profound influence on my journey.

I loved his response to doctrine in the 1:10:00 - 1:13:00

Doctrine is good in and of itself.  But, doctrine does not give you life, it’s just a belief, whereas the Kingdom is reality. Doctrines are good insofar as they’re signposts for reality.  Never mistake the signpost for reality.  Sometimes people think that believing is an end in of itself.  That the Church is the club of the people who believe all the right things.  And you’re saved if you pass the Theology test.  So God turns out to be the ‘Supreme Theologian’ who grades with vengeance because if you get it wrong you go to hell.  Therefore being right is all important.  I tend to think that people who believe this can get caught in a form of idolatry where instead of getting life from their relationship with Christ they get life from being right.  You can tell when you meet a person like that because if you disagree with them, it’s not a calm rational discussion.   When someone pokes at your idol you get angry. 

What I always teach people is that our source of life should come from Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone.  What makes you feel good about life, what gives you worth, what gives you sense of fullness should be what God thinks of you as revealed on Calvary.  My identity should be totally anchored in that so I don’t need to be trying to suck life out of what you think about me, or who likes me, or how much applause I get, or whatever.  And then that frees me up!  If my sense of life is settled, then I’m free from idolatry and that frees me up to live a kingdom of life.  I don’t think you can live a kingdom life to the extent that you’re still involved in idolatry.

hislivingpoetry: cjkelly3: simplyorthodox: myownequilibrium: awkwardsituationist: 98 year old dobri dobrev, a man who lost his hearing in the second world war, walks 10 kilometers from his village in his homemade clothes and leather shoes to the city of sofia, where he spends the day begging for money. though a well recognized fixture around several of the city’s chruches, known for his prostrations of thanks to all donors, it was only recently discovered that he has donated every penny he has collected — over 40,000 euros — towards the restoration of decaying bulgarian monasteries and churches and the utility bills of orphanages, living entirely off his monthly state pension of 80 euros and the kindness of others. Wow. I would love to meet him one day <3 A true example of the genuine Orthodox Christian life! I met Dobri briefly when I was in Sofia in 2004. I had the honor of giving him some money outside of Alexander Nevski’s Orthodox Church there, not knowing then who he was and what he did with the money. I look forward to meeting him again in the Kingdom. bless this man.
Zoom Info
hislivingpoetry: cjkelly3: simplyorthodox: myownequilibrium: awkwardsituationist: 98 year old dobri dobrev, a man who lost his hearing in the second world war, walks 10 kilometers from his village in his homemade clothes and leather shoes to the city of sofia, where he spends the day begging for money. though a well recognized fixture around several of the city’s chruches, known for his prostrations of thanks to all donors, it was only recently discovered that he has donated every penny he has collected — over 40,000 euros — towards the restoration of decaying bulgarian monasteries and churches and the utility bills of orphanages, living entirely off his monthly state pension of 80 euros and the kindness of others. Wow. I would love to meet him one day <3 A true example of the genuine Orthodox Christian life! I met Dobri briefly when I was in Sofia in 2004. I had the honor of giving him some money outside of Alexander Nevski’s Orthodox Church there, not knowing then who he was and what he did with the money. I look forward to meeting him again in the Kingdom. bless this man.
Zoom
hislivingpoetry: cjkelly3: simplyorthodox: myownequilibrium: awkwardsituationist: 98 year old dobri dobrev, a man who lost his hearing in the second world war, walks 10 kilometers from his village in his homemade clothes and leather shoes to the city of sofia, where he spends the day begging for money. though a well recognized fixture around several of the city’s chruches, known for his prostrations of thanks to all donors, it was only recently discovered that he has donated every penny he has collected — over 40,000 euros — towards the restoration of decaying bulgarian monasteries and churches and the utility bills of orphanages, living entirely off his monthly state pension of 80 euros and the kindness of others. Wow. I would love to meet him one day <3 A true example of the genuine Orthodox Christian life! I met Dobri briefly when I was in Sofia in 2004. I had the honor of giving him some money outside of Alexander Nevski’s Orthodox Church there, not knowing then who he was and what he did with the money. I look forward to meeting him again in the Kingdom. bless this man.
Zoom

hislivingpoetry:

cjkelly3:

simplyorthodox:

myownequilibrium:

awkwardsituationist:

98 year old dobri dobrev, a man who lost his hearing in the second world war, walks 10 kilometers from his village in his homemade clothes and leather shoes to the city of sofia, where he spends the day begging for money.

though a well recognized fixture around several of the city’s chruches, known for his prostrations of thanks to all donors, it was only recently discovered that he has donated every penny he has collected — over 40,000 euros — towards the restoration of decaying bulgarian monasteries and churches and the utility bills of orphanages, living entirely off his monthly state pension of 80 euros and the kindness of others.

Wow.

I would love to meet him one day <3 A true example of the genuine Orthodox Christian life!

I met Dobri briefly when I was in Sofia in 2004.

I had the honor of giving him some money outside of Alexander Nevski’s Orthodox Church there, not knowing then who he was and what he did with the money.

I look forward to meeting him again in the Kingdom.

bless this man.

To Tumblr, Love Pixel Union