Fr. Barnabas Powell, Author at Faith Encouraged Ministries

Stopping To Scrutinize Your Motivations

BlogAugust 16, 2021553Views 0Likes 1Comment

What's the difference between Inspiration and Motivation? Well, Inspiration usually comes from the outside. I'm inspired by that act of charity, or that life well lived. Motivations, however, are usually internal; that set of desires and drives that either keep me on track or send my life down a dead end. My best friend use…

Conflict Isn’t Bad, Schism Is!

BlogAugust 13, 2021417Views 0Likes 2Comments

As much as we might hate it, conflict isn't bad. It's just not pleasant. But if the highest "good" in our lives is to avoid unpleasantness, then we are headed for either eternal delusion or a rude awakening. I'll go even further and say that conflict is necessary for a "happy" life! Yep, if you're…

The Selfless Love of God

BlogAugust 12, 2021429Views 0Likes 0Comments

Telly Savalas was one of my favorite actors as a kid. I loved his "Who loves ya, baby" catchphrase when he played detective Kojak on his TV show! Wait, you don't know who Telly Savalas is? Well, I am an old man, so perhaps he was before your time! What isn't before anybody's time is the whole…

There IS An Escape!

BlogAugust 11, 2021460Views 0Likes 0Comments

Sin is boring! It really is. Because of my ordination and the blessing of the bishop, I am blessed to hear confessions from the faithful. Hearing confessions, I confess, is one of the most wonderful, challenging, and rewarding parts of my priesthood. And the reason is I get invited into the lives of people I genuinely…

Indulging In Immorality

BlogAugust 10, 2021414Views 0Likes 0Comments

Antone Lavey, the founder of the Church of Satan in California, once described Satanism as "indulgence instead of abstinence." A fitting description of the slavery of indulging one's desires with no disciplines. And a powerful example to us of a society lost in the delusion of self-indulgence. We really have come to a point in…

The EyeWitness

BlogAugust 9, 2021393Views 0Likes 1Comment

"We have an eye witness." Well, that got his attention. You see I was helping with an investigation with a recent spate of home burglaries in the area and we had caught a suspect in one of the neighborhoods where this was happening. This young man had been very successful in avoiding being seen or…

The Feast That Tells You Who You Are Meant to Be!

BlogAugust 6, 2021470Views 0Likes 0Comments

Here’s a long quote from C.S. Lewis’ book “The Weight of Glory” “It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to…

This Is What Defiles A Person!

BlogAugust 5, 2021414Views 0Likes 0Comments

After having lived through this pandemic that scared us all, the old wisdom of "wash your hands" took on a new urgency. Of course, modern medicine was completely transformed when we discovered that hygiene was key to patients surviving! Washing your hands keeps you healthy! It’s a good thing. And once again we see the parallel between…

Defiled!

BlogAugust 4, 2021361Views 0Likes 1Comment

“Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?” You can almost hear the sneer in this question to Jesus in the passage for today! And, frankly, it’s a good question. You see, as a Church, we Orthodox place a great deal of confidence in the consistent witness of the Faithful through the centuries.…

Passions CANNOT Be Masters

BlogAugust 3, 2021442Views 0Likes 1Comment

I know it is a bit “old-fashioned” and it may be hard for those of this generation to understand, but the timeless message of the Faith is that we are called to battle and tame the passions SO THAT they are our servants and never our masters! So what are the passions? Some may say…

Author page: Fr. Barnabas Powell

Fr. Barnabas Powell

Stopping To Scrutinize Your Motivations

Conflict Isn’t Bad, Schism Is!

The Selfless Love of God

There IS An Escape!

Indulging In Immorality

The EyeWitness

The Feast That Tells You Who You Are Meant to Be!

This Is What Defiles A Person!

Defiled!

Passions CANNOT Be Masters

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