Serving God by Serving Others

Serving God by serving others is rooted in the belief that loving God also requires loving those around us.
Serving God by serving others fulfils Jesus Christ's Two Greatest Commandments.
The First and Greatest Commandment
God's Laws of life define our love for Him and our love for each other.
A scribe once asked Jesus, "What commandment is the foremost of all?"
Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.'
The Second Great Commandment
'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these'.
(NAS, Mark 12:28-31)
The second is, "Love thy neighbor as thyself" is an ethical principle of the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) Jesus taught in His Sermon on the Mount.
In Christianity, the two great commandments are to love God with all one's being and to love one's neighbor as oneself.
These commandments are considered the foundation of all religious and moral laws., 

Selfless Service

Serving God by Serving Others
Selfless service without expecting any personal gain or recognition is crucial for building stronger communities and a more compassionate society.
It embodies the spirit of love, humility and service that Jesus Christ exemplified during His earthly Ministry.
Selfless service focuses on the well-being of a community or individuals with kindness, generosity and compassion through making time, providing necessary resources or skills to benefit those in need.
God created humanity to make a difference in serving others that resonate with values of goodness that have a positive impact on the lives of those around you.
Positive feelings bring a sense of inner peace and hope to hurting humanity.
Spiritual Well-being
Spiritual well-being encompasses a sense of purpose, meaning and connection through values, beliefs and morals that guide us toward faith and its virtues of love, compassion and humility that leads to a more harmonious and fulfilling life.
Spiritual Growth
Spiritual growth fosters personal transformation that deepens one's relationship with God to experience a greater sense of peace, purpose, and fulfilment in life.
Serving God Starts With Serving the Family
The family home should always have that sense of belonging with loving, caring parents who teach their children from infancy, Christian values and virtues that ultimately bring every child closer to God.
Thoughtful parents should be inspiring role models through what they say, do and live, to set their children on the path to becoming useful and responsible citizens of the future.

The Little Homemaker

Serving God by Serving Others
Strong life themes emerge from the stories of every immigrant that include something about the trauma of migration, hard work and sacrifice, strong family bonds, their beautiful village traditions and Orthodox faith that gives meaning to their lives.
The stories of Adelaide's pioneer immigrants is told through the lives of ordinary individuals and families.
It was a time when hard-working immigrants who looked to make their mark in a different society, in many instances they had to rely on members of their family for support in order to secure a stable economic base and direct hard-earned money toward home ownership.
In November, 1960, John and Kathy's youngest son Kosmas (Con) was born.
Nine year old, Tsambika (Betty), their daughter, became the traditional nikokira (homemaker), providing a valuable helping hand to her parents who worked from early morning to late at night, seven days a week, silently and uncomplaining.
Betty, the perfect little nikokira was fully committed to helping reduce the burden of her hard-working parents by doing chores around the house.
She would clean and maintain the family home, prepared traditional village meals she had been taught by her mother and cared for her little brother, Con in a nurturing, comforting environment.
Through all this, she learned valuable life skills for the future.

Serving God by Serving Others

Servanthood
God's Will:
Serving God by serving others reflects God's Love.
Gratitude
Gratitude begins with recognizing the positive aspects of life and appreciating the sources of goodness in what we have.
A grateful mindset leads to increased happiness, resilience and stronger relationships.
Faith
Faith is believing in God's existence and trusting Him on His Promises.
It is expressed through love that manifests in our actions and relationships with others.
All people need to be loved, and hurting humanity especially needs to experience love.
Faith in God in the face of adversity manifests in resilience despite challenges.
Belief in God offers hope and a sense of direction, especially during uncertain times.
Doctrine, Worship and Morality
Doctrine, worship, and morality are interconnected aspects of Christian faith.
Doctrine encompasses the beliefs and teachings of  Christianity.
Worship expresses reverence and devotion to God and Jesus Christ.
Morality outlines the principles of right and wrong.
Fellowship
Fellowship in church or Sunday School builds relationships based on shared faith and beliefs.
Serving God by Serving Others
Spiritual gifts
God grants Spiritual Gifts to the spiritual rich that:
*Strengthen Christian faith.
*Enrich the spiritual soul.
The spiritual rich devote themselves to the Glory of God.
It was seen through the lives of the Apostles and the early Christians.
It is evident in those who care for their neighbor.
And, it is found in humble people who think of others.
Discipleship
In a Christian context a disciple of Jesus Christ align their life with His Teachings of love compassion, forgiveness and service while also sharing their faith with others.

Doing things unto God

Serving God by Serving Others
"Never is life more noble than when we do things unto God" through the most meaningful and worthwhile endeavours.
Never does one feel better about how they spend their time than at the end of a day of serving our fellow human being.
Living a life that is guided by faith and directed toward God are aligned with the highest values and purpose in life.
We honor God through worship, obedience, service and charity.
When we serve, we grow spiritually because the Presence of God is in our lives.
We walk in the Footsteps of Jesus, the Humble Servant Who came to serve and to give.
With a giving heart we give freely of our time to fulfill the many needs of our humble church.
Being of service to others is what brings true happiness.
- Marie Osmond

Living Out the Vision of God

Serving God by Serving Others
Dimitria Athanasas (nee Manis)
Sunday School Teacher
A Sunday School teacher is a disciple of Jesus Christ who help the young to develop the spiritual eyes, ears, and heart so they can seek spiritual realities beyond this world.
Over a lifetime of devoted service, Dimitria Athanasas, the humble, Religious Instruction Teacher of West End State School in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (the school she attended as a student in her youth) taught about:
*Love to help children feel secure.
*Hope to build their confidence for the future.
*Faith so children will grow spiritually.
"The greatest among you will be your servant".
Michael Manis
Living Out the Vision of God
Greek Orthodox Church of St George
South Brisbane
Queensland
Australia
A spiritual gift (charisma in Greek) is an endowment given by God to individual Christians to fulfill the mission of the Christian Church.
As a servant of God, Michael Manis embodies the values and spirit of Christian faith through service to others.
Never is life more noble than when we do things unto God.
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
- Matthew 18:20 | NIV

Disciples of Jesus Christ

Serving God by Serving Others
Jesus chose Twelve Disciples to symbolize the 12 Tribes of Israel to be witnesses to His Life, Teachings and Miracles.
“Follow Me And I Will Make You Fishers of Men”
Jesus Christ's Twelve Disciples His followers who devoted themselves to learning from Him during His earthly Life.
They were made Apostles of Jesus Christ to become "Messengers" to spread the Gospel to all who can see the Cross of Christ's symbol of love, hope and everlasting life.
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew the Apostle was the first disciple to be called by Jesus Christ.
He is credited with founding the Church of Byzantium (later Constantinople), which later become the Orthodox Christian Church of the Byzantine Empire.
Saint Andrew's missionary journey also led him to Greece where he spread the Teachings of Jesus Christ.
Saint Peter
Saint Peter founded the first Christian church in Antioch, Asia Minor.
He is often depicted holding keys, representing the "keys to the kingdom of heaven".
Saint James the Greater
Saint James the Greater preached in the Iberian Peninsula (modern-day Spain), particularly in Zaragoza.
He founded the Santiago de Compostela, church in Spain.
Saint James also preached in Judea particularly in Jerusalem.
Saint John the Evangelist
Saint John the Evangelist was known as the "disciple whom Jesus loved".
At the Last Supper, he was reclined next to Jesus with his head resting on the Breast of Jesus.
Saint John the Evangelist is credited with writing the Gospel of John, three epistles (1 John, 2 John, 3 John), and the Book of Revelation.
At the Crucifixion, Jesus entrusted Saint John to care for his mother, Mary.
Saint Philip
Saint Philip the Apostle preached in Greece, Phrygia, and Syria.
In Asia Minor, he founded the church in Hierapolis.
Saint Matthew the Evangelist
Saint Matthew the Evangelist is known as the author of the Gospel of Matthew, one of the four gospels in the New Testament which details the Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ.
Saint Thomas
Saint Thomas, known as "Doubting Thomas" refused to believe in Jesus Christ's Resurrection until he could see and touch the wounds from the Crucifixion.
Upon seeing and touching those wounds, he confessed his belief in Jesus as "Lord and God".
Saint Thomas is credited with establishing the "Seven great churches" in the Malabar region in India.
Saint James, the son of Alpheus
Saint James was the first bishop of Jerusalem and the author of the Epistle of James in the New Testament.
Saint Bartholomew
Saint Bartholomew is credited with co-founding the Armenian Apostolic Church along with his fellow apostle, Jude Thaddeus.
They are considered the Patron Saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church,
Saint Jude Thaddeus
Saint Jude preached in Syria and Mesopotamia.
Saint Simon the Zealot
Saint Simon's missionary journey took him t Egypt, Africa, Mauretania, and Libya.
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot is known for betraying Jesus Christ with a kiss in the Garden of Gethsemane.
This betrayal ultimately led to Jesus Christ's Crucifixion and Death.
Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him and chose him as a disciple because:
Jesus was to be the Sacrificial Lamb, Who would Die for the sins of the world (Revelation 13:8).
Thirty pieces of silver were paid to Judas by the Jewish Chief Priests to betray Jesus.
That money was used to bury Judas in a potter’s field after he committed suicide in remorse.

Servant of God

Serving God by Serving Others
Servant of God signifies someone who is dedicated to their faith and a willingness to serve others following God's Will.
Servants of God, throughout history have demonstrated unwavering faith and obedience to serve God and those around them either through leadership or as Prophets.
Abraham, Moses, Samuel, Ruth, David, Isaiah and Mary were God's "servants" whose stories highlight the importance of obediently Walking with the Lord.
Abraham:
Abraham was the first human to communicate with God (Jewish and Christian traditions),
He is the "first Patriarch," the "first Prophet" and the first servant of God whose unwavering faith and obedience was tested with difficult trials.
His role with God is pivotal in Jewish and Christian history as it shaped the development of monotheistic belief (existence of one God) as opposed to polytheism (belief in multiple gods) or atheism (belief in no gods).
Moses:
Moses served God as a leader, a Prophet and lawgiver.
He led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt (the Exodus), received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai which form the foundation of Jewish law and morality and authored the first five books of the Bible (also known as the Torah or Pentateuch).
As the "lawgiver of Israel" he delivered several sets of laws through the Torah which have also influenced other religions and legal systems.
Samuel
Samuel was chosen by God to share His Word to the people in the transition from the era of judges to the establishment of a monarchy in Israel.
As a leader, he anointed Saul and David as kings to establish a monarchy in Israel.
As a prophet of God, he guided his people toward righteousness.
As a priest at the temple in Shiloh his duties included leading the people in prayer, offering sacrifices, and overseeing religious feasts.
Isaiah:
Isaiah was an 8th-century BC Israelite prophet after whom the Book of Isaiah is named.
He served as a prophet and messenger, calling God's people “back to Him” with a warning of impending judgment for their sins and rebellion against God's Covenant.
Isaiah brought hope through prophecies of a coming Messiah who would establish God's Kingdom in a new Jerusalem.
Ruth:
Ruth, a Moabite woman, demonstrated her willingness to forsake her former life through her unwavering loyalty for Naomi's well-being (an Israelite from Bethlehem and the tribe of Judah) and to embrace a new life with God's people highlighted her devotion and unwavering faith.
Her willingness to diligently glean the fields to support Naomi despite the difficult circumstances demonstrated her humility and hard work.
Ruth's declaration, "Your people will be my people, and your God my God," marked a significant moment highlighting the importance of commitment, loyalty, and service to God.
David:
David is the second king of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah who made Jerusalem his capital and brought the Ark of the Covenant to the city.
King David united the Twelve Tribes of Israel under one rule marking the beginning of a powerful and unified kingdom.
The Twelve Tribes of Israel refer to the sons of the Jewish Patriarch Jacob who constituted the nation of Israel.
AS the shepherd boy, he slayed the Philistine giant, Goliath with a slingshot which made him a hero and paved the way for his kingship.
Scriptures depict David as a "man after God's own heart" signifying that God chose him for kingship because he would follow God's Will.
David is the Psalmist who composed around half of the 150 Psalms found in the Old Testament which include Psalm 23 ("The Lord is my Shepherd"), and Psalm 51 (a Psalm of repentance).
In Christian theology of both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is described as a descendant of King David through His Mother, Mary.
The Divinely, Anointed One (Jesus Christ the Savior), would come from the line of David and Tribe of Judah.
Mary:
Mary's faith and obedience in God's Word was evident when she was told by the Archangel Gabriel, she would conceive and bear the "Son of God".
She responded, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" demonstrated her humility and willingness to serve God's Purpose.
Our Blessed Virgin May was with her Son, Jesus Christ from birth as her Baby and watched Him as the Savior of the world Who atoned for humanity's sins through His Death on the Cross and Resurrection to Everlasting Life and Glory.
Angels
Angels dwell in Heaven with God as servants carrying out His Will and serve humanity under His Direction.
They act as messengers and protectors who are sent to minister to those who will inherit salvation through guidance, support and comfort in times of uncertainty or transition.

True Life Story of an ex-Atheist, Ian McCormack's Near Death Experience (NDE)

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