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In Genesis 19, Lot and his family are delivered out of Sodom and Gommorrah.

• The passage “You shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13) is probably the verse that is most often referenced when discussing this question.  To clarify, the word for “kill” in the Hebrew actually means “to murder” or “to assassinate”.  There is a difference between killing and murdering.  Under certain conditions, a Christian may be justified in taking up arms to defend his family & his property against an aggressor.  However, the question is typically directed towards military service, in which, as the Orthodox Church, we ought to look to the life of the church in the teachings of the fathers.

• Justin Martyr (150 A.D.) – “For from Jerusalem there went out into the world, men, twelve in number, and these illiterate, of no ability in speaking: but by the power of God they proclaimed to every race of men that they were sent by Christ to teach to all the word of God; and we who formerly used to murder one another do not only now refrain from making war upon our enemies, but also, that we may not lie nor deceive our examiners, willingly die confessing Christ”. (Justin. First Apology, Chapter 39)

• Tertullian (160-220 A.D.) - "How will he serve in the army even during peacetime without the sword that Jesus Christ has taken away? Even if soldiers came to John and got advice on how they ought to act, even if the centurion became a believer, the Lord by taking away Peter's sword, disarmed every soldier thereafter. We are not allowed to wear any uniform that symbolizes a sinful act" (On Idolatry 19.3).

• Hippolytus (215 A.D.) -  "A soldier in the lower ranks shall kill no one. If ordered to do so, he shall not obey, and he shall not take an oath. If he does not want to comply with this directive, let him be dismissed [from the church]." (The Apostolic Tradition, Canon 16)

• Origen (3rd Century) - A Roman named Celsus criticized Christians saying if everyone followed their example, the Roman Empire would be conquered by the barbarians. The theologian Origen said Christians wouldn't fight even if required to. However, he stated that even though Christians were a minority, their work, love and prayers did more to preserve the Empire than the armies.  (Origen. Contra Celsus. Book VIII, Chap. LXVIII, LXX, LXIII. Can be found on the Internet at: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/04168.htm.)

• Lacnatius (4th Century) – “For when God forbids us to kill, He not only prohibits us from open violence, which is not even allowed by the public laws, but He warns us against the commission of those things which are esteemed lawful among men. Thus it will be neither lawful for a just man to engage in warfare”. (Lactanus. Divine Institutes, Book VI (Of True Wisdom and Religion), Chapter 20).
• Or why should he carry on war, and mix himself with the passions of others, when his mind is engaged in perpetual peace with men? (Lactanus. Divine Institutes, Book V (Of True Wisdom and Religion), Chapter 18).

• What about Romans 13:1-7? Isn't a Christian supposed to be subject to the governing powers of his nation? Yes, he or she is. But if the government orders you to do what is against the law of God, like murder in war, then what do you do? You do what Peter and the other apostles said and did. When faced with such a choice, they said, "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). Obey God first, even if it means suffering for doing so.

Hearing God's voice is something we all long for-but did you know that in fact, God wants you to hear His voice! He doesn't speak to us through a quiver in our liver or through vibes or mediums. What's more, we can hear Him everyday and not just on special occasions or by chanting special incantations. He speaks to us in the natural moments of life. Do you want to hear God's voice? Then you must be ready to listen.

1. Hearing God's Voice through the Bible

• Why do you want to hear God's voice? That may sound like a silly question, but motives are important in anything we do. The Bible says this about God's Word: "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
  

• Do you want to hear God's voice? If you do, it's possible you're hearing Him already, for He may be the one giving you the longing to hear Him.

• The Bible itself declares, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). In another place, we read: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16).

• You may hear people say that the Bible is just a book written by men, but the Bible itself claims to be God's Word! Can we rely on it? The evidence of history, archaeology, fulfilled prophecy and personal testimony over thousands of years is overwhelming that the Bible is, indeed, God's Word. Do you want to hear God's voice? Then read the Bible. Find a good daily reading plan, and stick to it.
  
  

  2. Hearing God's Voice through Prayer

• When you want to have a conversation with someone, how do you begin? Do you stand in front of the person and hope they will talk to you? That might work, if the other person is outgoing enough, but usually we begin a conversation by opening our own mouths and talking, engaging the other person's attention. It's the same with God! He loves to hear us talk to Him, and it's in those moments that we prepare ourselves to hear the voice of God. Prayer is like saying, "Hello, God, it's me. I believe You created me and that You know way more about how I should live my life than I do. I'd like to get to know You better. Here's what's going on in my life, and I'd sure like Your thoughts on how to handle it. Would You please speak to me about this today?"
  
  
• In an ordinary conversation, we speak, then listen for the response of the other person. It's the same with God! Once we've prepared our hearts to listen through prayer, we're more likely to hear the voice of God. Does He speak to us through an audible voice? Some claim He does, but usually that's not the case. We may not actually "hear" the voice of God, but He speaks to us in many ways. Here are some of them:
• God speaks through His Word
• God speaks through Liturgical Prayers
• God speaks through conversations with others
• God speaks through circumstances

3.

Hearing God's Voice through Difficult Times

• This question is often asked when we go through difficult periods of life.   The Psalmist says in Psalm 27: 13-14, “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” I have learned that it’s alright to feel pain; God has never told me to ignore my pain, as if I were not hurt at all, but instead he directs me to continually offer it to him. When I come before the Lord in quietness of spirit, opening one hand in offering my pain, one hand in trust and hope, patiently waiting on him, I am able to hear his voice.

•    The powerful moments of communion with God, don’t last forever. The voice of God is not always so palpable, his presence is not always so concrete, but it is in the getting on with life and the hard work of living out our faith that we still need to listen carefully to the Shepherd who says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me…no one can snatch them out of my hand.” John 10: 27-28.
  

Abba Victor was the Patriarch of Rome. He is mentioned in the Synexarium on Hatour 14 as being involved in a Council at Rome. The assembly reviewed the days we fast between Epiphany and Resurrection.  There used to be a break before Holy Week, but Abba Victor changed that based on the research of St. Demetrius the Patriarch of Alexandria

Matthew wrote to the Jews to present Jesus as King of the Jews. The account is in Matthew 1:1-17. It begins by showing Jesus was a legal heir to the throne of David, by virtue of his lineage. This fact is immediately set forth in verse one, which states Jesus was the "son of David, the son of Abraham." His kinship to David the King of Israel is mentioned before that of Abraham, the father of Israel. Matthew's genealogy traces the ancestors of Joseph, the legal father of Jesus. The original readers of Luke's works were Greek Christians. While Matthew wrote to the Jews, Luke wrote to the Greeks. Matthew's genealogy emphasized Jesus' claim to the throne of David. Since Luke's readers were less concerned about the fulfillment of Jewish prophecy, his genealogy focused on Jesus' descent from God. It placed no emphasis on Jesus being the descendant of King David.