241020 AOC Sunday Report

 


            Anglican Orthodox Churchsm                                        

Worldwide Communion

Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity

Sunday Report

 

 

The Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity – October 20, 2024

 Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity Propers:

 The propers are special prayers and readings from the Bible. There is a Collect for the Day; that is a single thought prayer, most written either before the re-founding of the Church of England in the 1540’s or written by Bishop Thomas Cranmer, the first Archbishop of Canterbury after the re-founding.

 

The Collect for the Day is to be read on Sunday and during Morning and Evening Prayer until the next Sunday. The Epistle is normally a reading from one of the various Epistles, or letters, in the New Testament. The Gospel is a reading from one of the Holy Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Collect is said by the minister as a prayer, the Epistle can be read by either a designated reader (as we do in our church) or by one of the ministers and the Holy Gospel, which during the service in our church is read by an ordained minister.

 

The propers are the same each year, except if a Red-Letter Feast, that is one with propers in the prayerbook, falls on a Sunday, then those propers are to be read instead, except in a White Season, where it is put off. Red Letter Feasts, so called because in the Altar Prayerbooks the titles are in red, are special days. Most of the Red-Letter Feasts are dedicated to early saint’s instrumental in the development of the church, others to special events. Some days are particularly special and the Collect for that day is to be used for an octave (eight days) or an entire season, like Advent or Lent. The Propers for today are found on Page 218-219, with the Collect first:

The Collect for the Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity

GRANT, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

 The Epistle for the Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity. 
The Epistle. Ephesians iv. 10.

MY brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

 The Gospel for the Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity.  The Gospel. St. John iv. 46.


THERE was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judæa into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judæa into Galilee.

 


On Point

Someone asked, where do the quotes come from? The answer is from the people who uttered them. But, how did you find them? Oh, that. Some from Bishop Jerry, others from Rev. Geordie and many from Rev Bryan Dabney and a few from other places.

 

              Rev. Geordie Menzies-Grierson England (above)

 Points to Ponder:

Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy: that they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it.
Psalm 109:26-27

The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.
Proverbs 10:27

The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 29:19

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Romans 15:4

Patience and comfort suppose trouble and sorrow, but each move us to seek the comfort of the scriptures which were written that we might know what to hope for from God.
The Rev. Matthew Henry

So we have lost a reverence for God and, therefore, for the whole of life, and also for the justice of God and the truth of God. But all these things bring us to a knowledge of the mercy of God, of His compassion, His kindness and His love. These things all go together. The Christian, at one and the same time, knows about the justice of God and the love of God. Justice and Mercy are met together – that is essential Christianity. It is only the Christian who can hold those two things at the same time.
D. Martin Lloyd Jones

For Our Country
Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favour and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honourable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from the pride and arrogancy, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brough hither out of man kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that through obedience to thy law, we may show fort thy praise among the nations of the earth. IN the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
1928 Book of Common Prayer

Excerpts from “Remembering the Old Paths”

Our beloved country of America stands at a critical crossroads today. The condition of our nation could have scarcely been imagined by the patriot of five or six decades ago. It took two centuries to build an enviable and proud record of freedom and Constitutional government, but the weeds of wickedness work much faster. Our sons and daughters of today may be the last to breath the air of liberty between our two ocean shores. Our youth lack real education and have been indoctrinated at the taxpayer’s expense for several decades. Many could not name even one of the Bill of Rights, but they are able to regurgitate the Communist dogma they have been taught in our ‘premier’ universities and colleges.

            The great object of the illiterate masses today is to storm the Bastille of Liberty, destroy our historical memory and monuments, undermine trust in our laws, and to undermine every vestige of morality and family life. This is not new to the vandals of history. The ancient art of Greece and the Middle East has been intentionally defaced and destroyed by hordes of irrational radicals bent on a totalitarian state. ISIS and Al-Qaida are the most recent examples in the Middle East. Hitler’s Nazi Party did likewise in Germany, and so did the Communist Party of the old Soviet Union and Red China. If a nation can be made to forget who they are and from whence they are descended, enslavement of such a people is made quite easy. Today, we have vandals, looters and so-called Antifa (read disguised Fascists), doing the same. They are paid pawns in a larger global effort to destroy the last bastion of freedom remaining on earth.

            Our Lord has warned us of the danger lurking in our very midst which, if unchecked, could speedily topple our Constitutional Republic and reduce our populace to misery and servitude.

            The Lord has placed a burden upon His ministers to sound the alarm regarding the insidious insurrection and subterfuge that has become prevalent in our society. Few are doing so which brings into question whether they are called ministers of God in the first place.

            I can tell you that I will not forfeit my responsibility to sound the trumpet. I may do so with less than a polished oratory, but the trumpet has its own voice and sound. We are in grave danger. We can no longer procrastinate and deliberate. Action is now the requirement of the day. As Patrick Henry, that greatest of Founding Fathers warned, “Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” (Before the second Virginia Convention, 1775)

            The Old Paths to which Jeremiah refers are those which our Fore-Fathers blazed in a hostile wilderness. They relied upon the leading light of a providential God to direct their steps. Even when growing up in the rural Blue Ridge country, I remember the daily converse of men in commerce and social life. They never failed to call to mind a biblical text to support their challenged position.

I do not expect all who read this message to heed the warning, but I know that those who love our country will see the danger and respond in Godly virtue and courage. May the good Lord preserve us according to His perfect will by awakening our people and drawing us back to His governance even if a hard chastisement is necessary for the purpose. Amen.

 Bishop Jerry Ogles –Remembering the Old Paths- 20-24-06

 

                                                               

Jerry Ogles
Presiding Bishop
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

 

We are fortunate to get copies of Bishop Jerry’s you tube links, devotions on the Prayer of the Collect and sermon notes.

 

Bishop Jerry creates videos on various subjects, they last just under ten minutes and this week’s videos are listed below:

 

Bishop Ogles has a You Tube Channel that is free to subscribe: all of his

 Sermons for the 20th Sunday after Trinity Part I and II excellent brief videos –click links
1. https://youtu.be/lnxTdN6NRhI

 

2. https://youtu.be/5wX79fPfOyY

 

The Names of Jesus SeriesBeer-lahai-Roi –
Thou God Seest Me

 Click link below to view and listen:

 https://youtu.be/nBY0zk4oH5w

 

 

 

The 39 Articles of Religion Series: Article 19:

 click below to listen

 https://youtu.be/a83m5iZH05s

 

Sermon for the 21st Sunday after Trinity – Bishop Jerry Ogles
Based on the Gospel Lesson for the Day – (John 4:46-54)

 INTRODUCTORY:

             1. Mark the setting of the text. A father pleads for the life of his son. Who would not have thought that the kind Saviour would instantly say, “I will?” Yet He treats the application as a great error. “Except ye see.” He disregards the man and treats him as the mouthpiece of a mistaken multitude, whose prevalent fallacy was to make miracles the condition of belief. No ordinary man would have thought of that answer.

2. This apparent rebuff, however, was only a trial of his constancy. “Like the rest of your nation you set aside Divine holiness, wisdom, and love and fasten on power, You forget how many works of power there are which are not God’s, and not until you have marked the adjuncts — holiness, wisdom, love — can you pronounce Them Divine.” The nobleman responded, “…Come down, ere my child die,” (John 4:49) as though he had said, “I am not thirsting for evidences.” It is the voice of nature, and the God of nature hears it. The trial is ended and the victory is won.

 

NOTICE THE WONDERFUL INTERTWINING OF NATURE AND GRACE IN THE GOSPEL. 

            The Gospel adapts itself to all that is best and beautiful in man’s heart.

         1. It has been found in some hour of mortal peril that persons of no religion will invoke the mercy of that Being who, up to that moment, they had denied. Sceptics, no doubt, can account for this in the survival of old prejudices. Christians naturally account for it by supposing that a belief in God is a primary principle in man’s nature.

         2. As in individuals so in families.

                 (1) Fathers who have made shipwreck of faith for themselves want Christ for their children. The immoral man would fence his child from. vice; the sceptic refuses to rear his child on negatives and chooses, therefore, a Christian school.”

                 (2) “And if the father sees his child stretched on a couch of pain from which he may never rise, is there not a voice in his heart crying, “Sir, come down, ere my child die.” I know the case is not rare in which the doubting or disbelieving father has desired, has sought, for his son the spiritual healing, has called in some man of God whose repute was highest for communication with the invisible, has encouraged his visits, has even knelt in the corner while he prayed, and has joined with strong cries and tears in the “Rock of ages, cleft for me,” sung or said in the chamber where the staying pray with the going; and has gone off from the experience and trial strong in the Son of God, to say at last, “Let me die the death of the righteous; let my last end be like His.” Christ is marching to complete the sum of happiness and to round the circle of being.” (quotes in bold by Dean Vaughan from the Second Miracle of Cana – John 4:46-54)

            The Gospel text provides an example of victorious faith over the curse of Eden. Faith is the crown jewel of our religion and, without it, there can be no reconciliation to God. Our souls would remain in the dark abyss and our bodies wracked with every sore and boil without the Balm of the Faith of Gilead. The Gospel is a fitting benediction to that overcoming faith described in both the Collect and the epistle for today.

            God would have us, I believe, to learn:
    1) that ‘believing faith’ is a faith that will draw down the miraculous powers of heaven;
    2) Faith believes where evidence does not appear. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we under-stand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” (Hebrews 11:1-3);
 
  
 3) Faith must have a vehicle upon which to move – hearing;

4) Faith compels us, in our dire need, to draw on the smallest morsel of faith to satisfy that need; and        5) Our proper response to faith is immediate and without delay or procrastination. Its urgency is compelled by love.

            Cana has been blessed with the first miracle of Christ, and a land that lends itself, by faith, to one miracle shall receive more. “So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine….” ( John 4:46) This is the city at which Jesus, in due regard for the high esteem in which He holds the first institution of God at Eden, honored the same estate by turning six large, stone vessels full of water into wine. It was a divine tribute to Marriage as an institution. Now, Christ, in His second miracle, will pay tribute to the blessed fruit of marriage – the child! The miracle would issue from Christ at Cana, and find its fulfillment in Capernaum, in the healing of a young boy. 

            There was a nobleman with connections to the power of the ruler whose son was deathly ill at the point of death. There was no earthly hope for the son so insidiously had the fever possessed his small frame. “…And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.” (John 4:46) Capernaum was some sixteen miles from Cana; however, that was a good day’s travel in the time of Jesus. The nobleman had, without doubt, sought after every remedy, treatment, and physician at close hand who might improve his son to no avail. He had, most likely, expended every resort. When hope faded as a distant star on the horizon, suddenly, there came news of the coming of the man called Jesus coming out of Samaria into Cana of Galilee. He may have been present at the first miracle of Jesus at Cana, but not likely in my thinking. Certainly, he had heard of the miracle for it was voiced abroad in the area. Suddenly, that fading star of hope became, to our nobleman and loving father, the Bright and Morning Star! Hope often gives birth to the primitive germination of faith, and so it was for this nobleman.

            “When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.” (John 4:47) He had not seen Jesus previously in all likelihood, yet, when he heard that Jesus was coming, hope gave over to the early yearnings of faith – there was Light breaking over the distant landscape! “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) Perhaps the nobleman had heard at the lips of a single, or many, witnesses. But SOMEONE had told him of Jesus and His coming. How sad that many have not had the benefit of hearing that Jesus has come, and will come again! I might add that ALL are at the very point of death without Christ. The need is great to carry the Gospel into every dark corner.

            It was the elemental tug of faith that impelled action on the part of the distraught nobleman and father. Such a faith crosses all lines of class and stature – the poor as well as the rich and powerful. There comes a moment in the lives of great men such as General Naaman of Assyria whose leprosy made wreckage of his life, to the poor blind Bartemaeus whose hope hinged on the miracle he besought from a man he could not see outside the gates of Jericho. When all hope is abandoned, there remains only faith to rekindle its warm light. So, desponding of all possibility of an earthly cure, the nobleman now latched onto the Fountainhead of all Hope and Healing in that early touch of faith that suddenly penetrated the fortress walls of his heart. Here we see a man of great influence begging a favor of a poor itinerant carpenter! Does this make sense? No, it doesn’t make a bit of worldly sense, but the actions of heaven are not dictated by worldly intelligence. Life and death matters (which are the concern of Heaven) breach all lines of royal propriety and academia. No time for role-playing when his son is at the very point of death! So, he begs mercy from an unlikely source, but the only Source of life and miracles. What may seem unlikely to the world may make perfect sense with God.

            How would the itinerant Master receive the nobleman of stature? He makes a very telling statement of fact. He is not questioning the nobleman’s faith, but EXPOSING it as a contrast to the lack of faith that abounded among common men. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.” (John 4:48) This man had not seen signs and wonders as many of the latter multitudes had seen, yet still did not believe. This man had not seen, yet believed still! That is the faith that begets miracles and the favor of God! This approach is very like a father telling his precious little daughter, with tongue in cheek, “Surely you do not want this candy treat – you are just pretending!” Jesus already knew the heart of this nobleman. He would have those who listened to his pleas to know his heart of faith as well. There is no discouragement or rebuff that will quench the light of earnest faith.

            The gentle rebuff of Christ in no way diminishes either the faith, or its kindred, perseverance, of the nobleman. His nobility of character comes to light in his manner of responding to Christ. It is as if he knows that Christ will not deny him. His faith has told him this. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.” (John 4:49) “Please, Lord, let us not mince words – my son will die if you do not come down!” He knows Jesus well enough in his heart of faith that He will not slam the gates of mercy on a child – and He never has done so! He spoke out of faith but not out of mature spiritual knowledge. He believed that Jesus must personally come to where his son was to heal him, but faith and divine power knows no distance.

            Having exposed the child-like faith of this nobleman to the multitude gathered, Jesus speaks again, 50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.” (John 4:50) If the man did not understand before that Jesus need only say the Word, and not come personally to heal his son, he knew it now form the lips of Jesus whom he believed explicitly. The nobleman had no need of pressing his point further….mission accomplished! He immediately believed the word of Jesus and went on the trip back to his son at Capernaum.  God will give this man CONFIRMATION of his faith is a most delightful way. Faith of the believer is ALWAYS confirmed in due time. We may be facing challenges that appear to have no end other than tragedy, but clinging to that morsel of faith that has been planted in our hearts; we believe the impossible….and the impossible comes to pass!

            The servants of the nobleman have been standing a sorrowful watch over the man’s son whom they most likely loved more than even the nobleman himself. Suddenly, they noted his perilous fever had broken and the boy was well – as well as he had ever been! In amazement, they ran along the road to Cana to tell the nobleman.  And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.” (John 4:51) Note here, again, the direction the man was traveling. He had experienced a mountain-top experience with the Savior. Any direction we take after being with Christ in either presence or prayer is down again to the valleys in which we must move and labor. When told that his son lived, he inquired of the time of his improvement for the sake of confirmation of his faith.  The journey from Cana to Capernaum was at least a day’s travel. When told that the son recovered the previous day at the seventh hour (1 P.M.), the nobleman was not surprised but rejoiced in the confirmation of that small kernel of faith that had brought him face-to-face with Jesus. I hope you, too, have had that kernel of faith that has brought you face-to-face with Jesus. After that encounter, that kernel will grow into a hundredfold, an even untold harvests of souls.

            We must not dismiss the results of the faith of the fathers for the children. Remember Zaccheus whose was saved with his whole household at his faith in Christ. See here how the noblemen believed AND HID WHOLE HOUSE (including servants). We have the promise of God that our children shall not depart in old age from that righteous path wherein the fathers walked if they are trained up in the nurture of the Word of God. One of the imperatives of baptism is to raise the child according to the promises of God, and that child shall confirm the faith of the parents in due time.

 

What a glorious and loving Lord we have in Christ!

 



Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity

Sermon – Bishop Jack Arnold - Time and Action
Church of the Faithful Centurion
Descanso, California

 Today’s sermon tied the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and talked, as is oft the case, of the need for action, not simply diction.

 Consider these words from the Collect:

 … Grant … thy faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind …

 We ask God to pardon our sins so we might serve Him with peace of mind and do His Work without having to worry about our fate.  It is good to have a clear mind when you go into battle, to be free of worry that you might do your best. You do not want a foggy mind while performing an action that requires your best concentration, so that is what we are asking from Him. To give us clarity of mind that we might do what is right. 

 

 In order to have that clarity of mind, we need His pardon and peace to cleanse us from our sins. With all the horrible things that go on this world daily, we are in need of a quiet mind. In order to serve Him well during all of these trials and tribulations that occur during our lives, it is good to have that quiet mind. In order to have that focused and quiet mind,, we need to ask Him to send the Holy Ghost into our hearts, souls and minds that we might have the quietness and focus we need instilled in our minds to do the tasks that He gives us. Without the Holy Ghost’s help, we will find that we have a very chaotic mind and almost impossible to quiet and thus will have a hard time concentrating on the tasks we need to do.

 

 When we mention peace, it is a very different concept from what people in this world think of it. The world’s idea of peace seems to ebb and flow with the ages and their concept of peace differs radically from what God’s peace is. God’s peace is an unyielding and unchanging and perfect peace. It will give us the confidence that when we die we will spend eternity with Him in heaven, a most lovely place. It will give us the confidence to endure all of our trials and adversities here on Earth and to also help us improve ourselves via the help of the Holy Ghost.

 

It also helps us to know this is only a transitory phase. This is only temporary way point on our way to heaven.  And if we let it, this peace will take the place of worry. This can be easier said than done, but if we let the Holy Ghost into our hearts, we will find our worries will disappear quickly. The peace gives you the confidence to perform actions, even in difficult and very trying circumstances. Once again, action, not diction, is paramount.

 Not everyone will accept it though, even though all should accept the offered gift, it does not mean they will.  As our fallen nature attests, we are not instantly transformed into a different person overnight, but rather thorough many days, weeks and years of practicing Christian beliefs, through reading Scripture and being around other believers. Others that accept it may not accept it right away, so it may take a while for the seed to bear fruit. The transformation happens in a gradual process, that continues all of our lives. With some of the non-believers we encounter in our live this might occur, the seed we plant may germinate in time to bring them to Christ.

 

Paul gives his clearest definition of the spiritual war between the forces of Satan and those who would follow God. It not only assures us that there is a spiritual war, but it warns us that apart from utilizing the weapons which God has provided for us, we are hopelessly underpowered. He clearly also says that our enemies will be occupying high positions of power and doing their best to make our lives difficult. With the help of the weapons that God has provided for us, namely the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit, we will be able to spread His Word and effectively wage war against Satan and his minions.

 In order to boldly preach the truth of the Gospel through ought the world, we must not worry ourselves with what the world will think. For what the world will think is not as important as what God thinks. We will do our actions and say the truth with clarity and confidence. That is what it means to preach the Word boldly.

 The Word spreads “by word of mouth” and by action.  It does not spread by mouth alone! There needs to be work backing up those good words. Your mouth, your actions!

 

Speaking of actions, Winston Churchill said, “Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”[1]

 Churchill was not the first. God wants us to persist.  Consider the case of the nobleman of Capernaum.  The man asked Jesus for help for his son.  Jesus did not immediately grant the request as He needed the man to persist to make a point for those around him.  He responded as he often did to Jews, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.  The man persisted and because Jesus saw faith in him, he said, focusing his attention on faith in God, Go thy way; thy son liveth or "Be on your way. Your son is alive." In other words: "Do not worry.  My Word will heal your son no matter the distance." The boy was healed in the very instant when Jesus spoke the Word. The father believed this Word.  So did his household, wife, children and servants. More than one person was healed on that occasion.

 

 This miracle shares characteristics with the previous healing of the Centurion’s son:

 

·        Jesus has just come back to Galilee.

·        Someone comes to him with a request.

·        Indirectly Jesus seems to refuse at first.

·        The person persists.

·        Jesus grants the request.

·        This leads another group of people (his disciples, the nobleman’s household) to believe in him.

 

Note the necessity of trusting in Jesus as the giver of life.  Jesus led this nobleman from a "miracle" faith to a true faith in His Word. He does this to us also, but only if we will let Him into our hearts and guide us there.

 "Be on your way. Your son lives." This Word of Jesus was not only a prophecy. It had the power to heal the sick boy. And this Word took the nobleman's worries away. As it will take ours away if we will let it.

 

As we see in the Gospel, persistence is a very important part of the Christian life, it helps build our character in bad times, and also in good as well. Persistence is what fuels us in our day to day physical and spiritual lives. Persistence is a very important character trait to have as a Christian. Perisstance is what fuels us through times of trial and tribulation and helps give us the strength to carry on when all seems lost here on Earth. For we know not all is lost for in the end we know God wins. With this knowledge we can persist and do our part to improve our corner of the world. The more we open ourselves up to Him, the more persistent we will become as we embody more and more of His characteristics. Persistence will help us greatly in our character development and will help strengthen us spiritually.

 Consider also that God, through our Lord, offers forgiveness.  Forgiveness lets you restart your life, regain your foothold, strengthen your soul.  If you accept the forgiveness and go forward you can do great things.  If you will not, and likewise you will not forgive, you will be bound by the prince of this world and doomed to failure.  You will never attain the greatness of which you are capable with God’s grace and help.

 Do what is right, I would say no matter if there is no one looking; but He is always looking.  It is not that hard.  Believe, take His help, act on the belief you profess, never ever give up. 

 

 Heaven is at the end of an uphill trail.  The easy downhill trail does not lead to the summit. 


The time is now, not tomorrow.  The time has come, indeed.  How will you ACT?

 The time to act is NOW.  Will you act?  For whom will you act?  Will you count the cost before you act?

 Action, not diction, is what counts.  It is by your actions you are known.

 Be of God - Live of God - Act of God

 

 



Yves M. Méra
Presiding Bishop
AOC France Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide

 We are fortunate to have a sermon from the Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Orthodox Church of France and the Administrative Coordinator of Europe and Africa. As you will read, he is an excellent writer. The sermon is easy to read and provides much insight.

 SERMON for the Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity 

 Ephesians 6:10-20; John 4:46-54

 FAMILY FAITH

 In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

 How can we believe without having seen? Is sight the only one of our senses that can lead to faith? Not at all, because “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17). Our Lord Jesus Christ does not teach us to see God, but to listen to Him and obey Him. He is not the Father's eye – for the Father sees everything - but the Word of God (John 1:1-4): “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men Paradoxically, it is written that the Word of God is a light, and even THE light of men. Without this Word of God, we live in the darkness of ignorance. By sight, we know by experience; through the Word we possess true knowledge. Nuance.

 The Father and the Holy Spirit have sent us the Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, to reveal to us this luminous, alive, active and healing Word of God. It illuminates the path to Eternal Life as the beacons of an airport reveal the airstrip to the pilots, or the semaphore of the port indicates the entrance channel. But sight can be deceiving: have you ever heard of optical illusions? It is on this principle that the so-called magic of the conjurers operates. On the other hand, speech is sure and does not create illusions. It exposes and explains the truth, and this Truth has a name: Jesus Christ “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6). Christ is the beacon and semaphore indicating the way to eternal Life, by faith. Here, faith is necessary, because you have to trust these semaphores and beacons to follow them and safely reach your destination. The essential question now is: Can we trust Jesus Christ? The answer is clear: Did Jesus Christ ever lie? Has he ever sinned? Has He ever failed to perform a miracle, beginning with His own resurrection from the dead? When God speaks, His Word acts and does His will (Genesis 1:3-5): “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. 5And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.” When God speaks, even nature obeys Him, for He is the Creator!

 And contrary to a Darwinian teaching that we all listened to in schools, the world was not created by chance, nor by man, nor by an artificial intelligence, but by a divine, omniscient and all-powerful intelligence. Is it not the result of chance, because it is ordered and coherent, which is the opposite of chance. Did Christ come to earth by chance or by the Father's will? In John 5:30, Jesus says, “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” And just as the Father sent us the Son, and then the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Christ formed and sent His Apostles - Apostolos, in Greek, means, sent; hence our expression to post a letter, which means to send a letter. And following them, each member of the clergy is an envoy of Christ, with the priority mission of teaching the Word of God. And by extension, every Christian and head of family participates in this mission of teaching the Word of God to his wife and children. From this point of view, families of pastors are privileged, because they have a relatively good knowledge of the Word of God, even if they do not always apply it perfectly, especially their youngsters when they are attracted by the sirens of the world. But they come back earlier than others and are often involved in caring for others and helping the injured. That's already it, and it's better than nothing at all. If they also preach the Word by their testimony, even better. We know of families of pastors who serve the Church of Christ from father to son, through several generations. Such were my own Lutheran ancestors.

 Evangelical churches emphasize the individualism of faith. Personal faith is certainly necessary and sufficient to be saved from the Wrath that comes with the Last Judgment. But we must not forget the role of the family in the transmission of the faith. However, some Christians tend to forget that the family is an institution of God, whose head is the Father (Genesis 3:16): “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.” In this respect, single-parent families are heresy. And others too, of which I won’t even speak, for they are not real biblical families, in the first place.

 In the Gospel of John, chapter 4, verses 46 to 54, we see a father imploring Jesus Christ to heal his sick son before he dies. A father's prayer is indeed a biblical action! A father intercedes for his wife and their children. It is even the first responsibility of a Christian father. The father is therefore necessary, and they cannot be two fathers, at the risk of contradicting each other and uttering a confused prayer. And if in the Gospel, the father of the sick boy intercedes to Christ, it is because he trusts Him to heal Him: he has faith in Jesus Christ, the Messiah promised by the Prophets and sent by the Eternal Father, our Almighty God incarnate in Jesus (John 4:47): “When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.” And this faith in Christ impels him to pray Christ to intervene and act for the good of his sick son; and this good reflects on the whole family. It is not a question of individual faith, but of personal faith. Another nuance. Individual faith is that of a believer isolated from his family context. Personal faith, on the other hand, is that of a believer who is alive and involved in his family, just as the Eternal Father wanted His Son Jesus to be involved in the family of Joseph and Mary, with His brothers and sisters. This is a historical fact.

 And a man of faith trusts in Christ: he believes in the Word of God (John 4:50): “Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.” The father of the sick man believes and obeys Christ. When Christ commands him to go home, he immediately complies and leaves. A faith that does not take concrete form of actions consistent with the faith professed is a hypocritical faith. And which is worse: A faith that would be contradicted by acts that are contrary to the professed faith is simply a devilish lie.

 A professed and lived faith reflected on the entire family (John 4:51-53): “And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. A whole family begins to believe - and thereby enters into Salvation and has an opened access to Eternal Life - because of a word spoken by Christ. Of course, they have seen this word come true in practice, but they also recognize that without this Word of Christ, the child would not have been healed. And I add that without this Word of Christ, they would not have believed and would not have been saved. Each one was personally converted, as a family, and not in isolation.

 The following verse also deserves a short development, because no Word of God is superfluous. In John 4:54 we read: “This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.” Why does John specify "second miraculous sign"? Remember the first one: It was during a wedding at Cana: the foundation of a family. And this second miracle can be described as "family miracle", because it is a whole family that benefits from it by receiving the gift of faith. There is no doubt that in Jesus' mind, the family is of paramount importance, because it is there that He first acted, and it is there that the faith was transmitted, from the beginning of His earthly ministry.

 With the grace of faith comes the gift of the Holy Spirit. Paul details this gift in Ephesians 6:10-20. God does not put a spirit of weakness in us, but a share of His Spirit of power, and this power does not come from us, it is divine (Ephesians 6:10 and 12b): “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” ... “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

 Paul then lists the qualities inherent in this faith in Almighty God: truth and righteousness (verse 14); zeal to proclaim the gospel (verse 15); unshakable faith (verse 16); Salvation and the Word of God, bound together by the Holy Spirit (verse 17); prayer and intercession (verse 18).

 Paul begins the list with truth and righteousness, for if they are absent, everything else that follows is false. He continues with zeal at his feet to bear witness on the march, that is to say, on every occasion, like a merchant seeking to place his merchandise and sell it to all his contacts, whether known or unknown. And this merchant believes in it, he has faith in the quality of his merchandise, otherwise he would be neither convinced nor convincing. Next, Paul preaches salvation through the Word of God, which is both Jesus Christ Himself and His Word – “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24c). Finally comes the prayer, which comes last as one sticks a stamp on the envelope before mailing it, otherwise it will not be carried to its destination. In view of the above, prayer and intercession are meaningless if they are not done in faith and in the will of the Eternal Father. For the important thing is not the envelope itself - although it contains the Name of the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, but the message contained therein - in accordance with the Word of God – that must be verified, signed and sealed.

 And it is only after having thus clarified the meaning of the intercessory prayer that Paul asks that we pray for him (Ephesians 6:18-19): “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel. The Gospel, however, has nothing mysterious or hidden: on the contrary, it is the revelation of the Truth in Jesus Christ. What was hidden, Christ has made known to us.

 The word "mystery" is itself derived from the Greek word musthrion which Dionysius of Syracuse famously made a play on words: : mus-thrion  in two words, which means "mouse hunt" (mus gave mouse, in English). And indeed, being shod with zeal for the Gospel, we drive away mice, and rats in order to present to them the way of salvation in Jesus Christ, who died on the cross of Calvary to redeem us and rescue us from the clutches of Satan, the great enemy of our souls.

 And Paul ends this exhortation by reminding us that he is bound, chained, as a prisoner. His life ends like this, in continual prayer, because he is prevented from doing anything else by his chains. Let us think of our future and of all the elderly who are crippled with rheumatism, handicapped, and sick. Far from being useless, they are necessary for the continual prayer of the Church of Christ. And we have seen that continued prayer is what comes last in Paul's list, as in the life that God gives us. Life is therefore not a static affair, but a movement, a continual march towards the Kingdom of God: We are born in sin (Psalm 51:5): “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” we are converted by being born again, and we prepare ourselves for our glorification in Heaven by praying and interceding for all people, starting with our own family (Romans 8:30): Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.And it is this glory that awaits us; let us not be shy to proclaim the Gospel by sowing the Word first to our loved ones, and then to the world (2 Timothy 4:2): “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”  Is this not better than complaining about the world's disaffection for the Gospel and for the Church of Christ?

 My friends, time is running. The fatal hour of this world's judgment is approaching. Let us be, like Timothy, “fellowlabourer(s) in the gospel of Christ (1 Thessalonians 3:2); let us endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist(2 Timothy 4:5). Let us pray and intercede for our families, and the Church of Christ, and the sick and sinners; and God who sees us from heaven and loves us will bless us, as He blesses all those who obey Him. At least this is what I can testify to from my experience and that of many other brothers in the great family of faith, which is the true Church of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Rt. Rev. Yves Méra, AOC Bishop of France.

 


 Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s AOC Vicksburg, Mississippi - Sunday Sermon

We are fortunate to have Bryan’s Sunday Sermon. If you want people to come to The Truth, you have to speak the truth, espouse the truth and live the truth. This is really a good piece and I commend it to your careful reading.

 

Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity

 

 In our epistle lesson today we read the account of God’s covenant with Abram (Genesis 15:1-38). In a previous chapter, the LORD called Abram to, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shall be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3). God called him out for a purpose, that through him and his descendants the redeemer of the mankind would come. And that redeemer would be none other than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ

 Now the devil has worked hard to spoil God’s creation and especially his plan for the reclaiming that which was lost after the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 3: 1-19). In verses 1-3 of Genesis 3, we read where the devil used the serpent— a creature made by the hand of the LORD— to deceive mankind. He is thus described as being, more subtil than any beast of the field which when possessed by the evil one increased his powers at that moment to “reason” with unsuspecting humanity. Still, the man and his wife were aware of the will and wishes of God for the Bible tells us in Genesis 2:15-17 that, the LORD God took the man, and put him in the garden to dress and keep it. And the

LORD God commanded the man saying thou mayest freely eat: but the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

 The devil then approached the woman and said, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? (v. 1) — knowing full well that such was God’s commandment— to which the woman replied, We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die (vv.2-3).

That should have ended the matter, but the devil is extremely persuasive in his efforts to enlist mankind in rebelling against his Creator. His reply: Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil (vv.4-5). And it worked, for she was persuaded via the reasoning of the serpent— read, the devil— as well as her senses to eat of the forbidden fruit, and on top of that, to give to her husband and he did eat.

 And the result? The Bible says that, the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made them aprons (v. 7). Presently, their Creator came walking in the garden and called to Adam and his wife saying, Where art thou? (v. 9). And Adam replied, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself (v. 10) to which God inquired, Who then told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? (v. 11).

 Next, we have what sadly mimics a Thomas Nast political cartoon of the Tweet Ring in New York City circa 1868. Nast depicted a number of would-be felons all standing in circle with Boss Tweed at the forefront and each pointing their finger at the person next to him all the way around to Tweed once again; and this all in an failed effort to divert blame. In this case we have Adam’s excuse when he said: The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat (v. 12). And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat (v. 13). Again, they knew that what they were doing was counter to the command which the LORD had given them. At that point, God would have to act to preserve His creation by sending his redeemer to reclaim and restore it to himself. But first, the ground work would have to be set.

 Now a caveat is in order at the point in our lesson. We are the descendants of Adam and Eve, and as such we possess the same proclivities. We call this inherited trait original sin. The LORD showed them mercy by not dealing with them initially in his hot displeasure, but their punishment would come later in the form of physical death— for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return (v. 19). And it should be further noted that because they ate of the forbidden fruit, and knew the difference between good and evil, God then expected them to DO GOOD ALL THE TIME THEREAFTER. Needless to say, that was something they could not do and which we cannot do as well of our own volition. Our LORD knew this from the beginning and that is why he sent his only Begotten Son into the world to serve as sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.

 Imagine, if you will, telling your only Son that he would have to leave the perfect precincts of heaven and come down to earth and become flesh— with all the understanding of what that means— so that he could offer himself up for a mass of ungodly souls who love their sins and who blaspheme his name and his law every day of their lives. Imagine standing at the foot of that cross where he died for us and hearing the jeering crowd mock and scorn him as he suffered and yet he said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do (St. Luke 23:34). Here then is that wonderful condescending love the Godhead has for mankind and yet to this day, his word is rejected and scorned by the vast majority of humanity.

 Yes, Jesus Christ came to undo what our first parents had done. But before Christ came, God chose out a people for himself from which the Messiah— the Christ— would come (Genesis 12 and 15). He through the patriarchs and prophets supplied them with the Law of Moses and the guiding messages that were filled with his expectations and with hope for their future. He supplied them with David

as an earthly example of the kingship of the Messiah. And he gave us the Christian faith with the gospel accounts and the epistles by the apostles for our edification and encouragement in these last days as well as the promise of his return for his church and reclamation of the world from the devil and his minions.

 So then, what must be do? Well, what does God say in his word? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house (Acts 16:31). Believe on Christ as your Saviour. Receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Repent and confess your sins and trespasses to the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; and then live as one redeemed— confessing your sins daily, endeavoring to maintain the fellowship of the faith with others, keeping to the strait gate and narrow way, and praying also in the Spirit. Do these things and live for eternal life in God’s kingdom is ever before you in Christ Jesus. The covenant which God made with Abram was a beginning point in the creation of a familial pathway for Christ to come into the world. Embrace him as your Saviour to ensure your admission into his coming kingdom.

 Let us pray,
Help us, we beseech thee Father, to live our lives as a people who have been redeemed from sin and eternal death; and that we might become more effective witnesses on thy behalf to those are still in darkness and under the shadow of death that they too might turn and be saved; and this we ask in the name of him who came to seek and save the lost, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 Have a blessed week,

Bryan+

 


Roy Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor

Saint Paul's Anglican Church  - Diocese of the Midwest Anglican Orthodox Church Suffragan Bishop of the AOC

Sermon on the Gospel Lesson for the Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity

 

 Psalm 91    First Lesson. 2 Kings 6:8-23 
 Second Lesson. Romans 4:1-8

 GRANT, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

 “A Quiet Mind”

            Have you noticed a prevailing theme that runs through the Old and New Testament? 

That theme being peace/calm/refuge/quiet.   I know, the first thing you might say is ‘aren’t those multiple themes’? Yes, but they are all about the same concept.That is the lack of chaos, the lack of fear, the lack of peace.   

   In each concept we can connect it back to the broad theme of peace. Time and again, we are reminded of the “peace that passes understanding”. We are reminded that there is a peace that cannot be purchased, it cannot be manufactured, it cannot be invented, it is God’s alone to dispense.  He alone has the power to create that peace within us. We are to pray for that peace. We are to seek that peace by feeding upon the Word of God daily. 

    If we look at Psalm 91 we can find these concepts illustrated in a number of verses there. (1-2)

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” Great security is promised to believers in the midst of danger. Wisdom shall keep them from being afraid without cause, and faith shall keep them from being unduly afraid.* “5Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.” (Psalm 91:5-6)

   In verses 3 and 4 of this psalm we read that God will protect us from the fowler (Satan) and from the poisonous influences of sin.  This deliverance is compared to what a mother hen does for her chicks when they are in danger. She hides them under her wings. And most importantly the truth of the Lord will be the defense and protection against these dangers.

 3Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

 So how does this all depict peace/security/calm/refuge/quiet?

 “9Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; 10There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” (Psalm 91:9-11)

            Notice several things here in these three verses. 

1. The Lord, who is most High, is my refuge. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; This is the security of God’s refuge for us.

 2.No evil shall befall thee nor plague come close to your dwelling. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. This is the peace and calm that God provides us.

 3. He gives his angels charge over you, to keep you safe in the ways of the Lord.  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. This again, being the security, peace, quiet and calm refuge that God provides us.

 Side note on the mission and purpose of angels:

 The careful balance here, is to not go “medieval” and begin to ascribe certain behaviors and circumstances to the activity of angels. There was a fairly large belief system, still around today, that angels were to be invoked for protection. This is the farthest from the truth as we read the Word. Every time there was an encounter with an angel the specific job was made clear. An angel was to bring a message of hope, a warning of danger, or a promise of Godly retribution. The angel would never require subservience. Several instances where a prophet or apostle would report on the appearance of an angel, they would fall down on their knees at that appearance. The angel would immediately tell them to get up, “I am created as you are...”. In other words, we are not to worship angels. They are created by God, for specific tasks, but never to be worshiped. Now that being said, we also will find in the scripture, reports of angels who protect.  In this particular psalm, in the case of the Syrian army surrounding the prophet Elisha, as well as other places in the Bible, we can find instances of angelic presence for the specific task of protection. In other words, “Guardian Angels”.  That is their task, they are to protect God’s own, to make sure we are able to do what the Lord wants us to do before we are finished with that mission here on earth. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.  With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

  “Whatever happens, nothing shall hurt the believer; though trouble and affliction befall, it shall come, not for his hurt, but for good, though for the present it be not joyous but grievous. Those who rightly know God, will set their love upon him. They by prayer constantly call upon him. His promise is, that he will in due time deliver the believer out of trouble, and in the mean time be with him in trouble. The Lord will manage all his worldly concerns, and preserve his life on earth, so long as it shall be good for him. For encouragement in this he looks unto Jesus. He shall live long enough; till he has done the work he was sent into this world for, and is ready for heaven. Who would wish to live a day longer than God has some work to do, either by him or upon him? A man may die young, yet be satisfied with living. But a wicked man is not satisfied even with long life. At length the believer's conflict ends; he has done for ever with trouble, sin, and temptation.” *

  And so today let us look forward to what God has promised us in the Word. He will protect us, He will shield us from spiritual harm, He will take care of us here until our job is complete. Then He will gather us to His heaven where we will be in perfect peace. What a promise to be given.

 May God richly bless you and keep you in this week to come.

 Let us pray:
IN THEE, O Lord, have I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion; deliver me in thy righteousness.  Bow down thine ear to me: make haste to deliver me. And be thou my strong rock, and house of defence: that thou mayest save me. For thou art my strong rock, and my castle: be thou also my guide, and lead me for thy Name’s sake. Draw me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength. Into thy hands I commend my spirit: for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth….
Glory be….GIVE us light in the night season, we beseech Thee, O Lord, and grant that our rest may be without sin, and our waking to Thy service; that we may come in peace and safety to the waking of the great day; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

Bishop Roy Morales-Kuhn


 The Rev. Don Fultz
Rector of St. Peter’s AOC
located in the AOC National Office

 

We are grateful to have this sermon of for the Nienteenth Sunday after Trinity today from Rev. Don Fultz from St. Peter’s AOC, Statesville, NC.

 

Sermon for the Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity

Sermon:  St. John 4:46-54 Lesson of Faith

 In today’s Gospel reading, we are told of another miracle performed by our Lord Jesus, the healing of the Nobleman’s son. This is thought to be Jesus first recorded miracle of healing. This first example of Jesus healing miracles is important, as it emphasizes the link between miracles and faith.  What stands out in this miracle is the progression of the faith by the Nobleman. Faith is an essential element of our Christian belief.  It is the channel through which we come to know Jesus Christ as our savior.  We are saved by the grace of God through our faith in Christ (Eph. 2:8). It is also necessary to have a presence of faith for healing.  Lack of faith in Jesus’s hometown of Nazareth resulted in few healings. (Mat. 13:58 Mark 6:5-6). Faith, simply put believes that God will do what He says he will do.  Faith is also very pleasing to God.  St. Paul tells us in Heb. 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Let us observe and discuss this morning the faith of the Nobleman.

 We read in verse 46 and 47:  So Jesus comes again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine, And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.”  “When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son; for he was at the point of death”.

 We are told in these verses that the man seeking Jesus was a nobleman.  We are not told any other particulars about the man. However, from his title we can assume he had some type of royalty connection.  Possibly to King Herod either as a courtier or other high ranking member of his court or staff.

 He was obvious a man of well means (upper middle class) and most likely sought out all of the finest doctors or healers in his area to heal his son but to no avail.  A fever was ravaging his son’s body and he was close to dying.  The father was desperate to save his son. So he left his dying son and traveled some 15 miles (day’s journey by foot) to Cana in Galilee from Capernaum seeking Jesus. He most likely had heard about Jesus performing other miracles, possibly at the recent Passover Festivities in Jerusalem and sincerely believed that Jesus had the power to heal his son.  John 2:23 tells us “…many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which He did.

 However, the nobleman‘s faith was a mixed and a weak faith. He thought that Jesus could not heal his son from a distance but had to come down with him (back to Capernaum) to physically lay his healing hands on his son.  He didn’t exhibit the strong faith of the Centurion who later said to Jesus Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof; but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. (Matt. 8:8).  So what is shown in these passages is just the beginning faith of the nobleman.   

 It is sad that the beginning of many people’s faith is a sense of desperation. Such is the case of the nobleman in this miracle. The one thing that keeps many people from Jesus is a lack of need. As long as everything is going well in their life they simply don’t think they need Christ. However, a major illness or crisis reveals our weaknesses and our inadequacies. Eventually, the severe needs arising from accident, illness, disease, suffering, and death strikes everyone even children. (Heb 9:27). The day eventually comes when everyone needs help.

 Desperation also has a way of breaking down our foolish pride.  The nobleman could have sent one of his servants to ask Jesus for help but he didn’t.  He showed great respect for Jesus and came by himself.  This nobleman had rank and status in a culture that rank and status was everything. But out of desperation, he swallowed all of that pride and humbled himself as a beggar asking Jesus for help. We all need to show humility when we come to Christ especially in prayer.

 Now let us take a look at Jesus’s gentle rebuttal response in verse 48:  Then said Jesus unto him, “…Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. Jesus is testing the faith of the nobleman.  He is showing him his sin and weakness before granting him mercy for his request.  He is telling him that unless he sees a miracle or other sign, he will not believe in him. Jesus seemed to insinuate that the nobleman, like the rest of the Galileans, was only longing to see a miracle from Him. They would not believe in Jesus except if they saw some sort of sign or miracle with their own eyes first. Just like doubting Thomas, who would not believe the resurrection of Jesus until he saw the holes in His hands and the hole in his side. The Galileans had a prove me faith. This type of faith simply says, “Seeing is believing”.  They wanted to see signs and miracles before they would believe in Jesus as the Messiah.  This is the exact opposite of our Christian faith. Christians are to walk (live) by faith as St. Paul tells us in 2 Cor. 5:7:  For we walk by faith not by sight Miracles can only lead us to the word (John 5:36-38).  It is one thing to believe in miracles but something else to commit oneself to Jesus Christ and to continue in his word. (John 8:30-31) Many believed in Jesus because of the power of his miracles but their faith in his word was weak and their temptations drew them away from Him.  Even, Jesus “own city”, Capernaum, where he had performed more miracles and gave more sermons than any other city, had few actual believers. Here is what Jesus said about Capernaum in Matthew 11;23-24:  23And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell:  for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgement, than for thee.

 However, Jesus knew the heart of the nobleman was sincere but wanted his faith to advance to a higher level.  He was concerned about the salvation of the man’s soul.  He was trying to teach the man that his Word alone was enough.  Belief in His word was not only going to assure his request but also save the man’s soul.  Romans 10:17 tells us that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

 We see the response from the nobleman in verse 49:  “The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.”  The nobleman took the reproof patiently and didn’t offer a rebuttal.  He spoke to Christ very respectful.   He did not allow Jesus’s rebuke to deter him and his reply showed persistency in his faith that Christ could and would save his son.  Persistency was absolutely necessary in securing Jesus’s help.  Persistency shows that one really recognizes and acknowledges his need and really believes God can and will help.  Just like the persistency of the Canaanite woman for Jesus to heal her daughter vexed with a devil (Matt 15:21-28).  The woman did not take no for an answer. Jesus told her in verse 28:  “…O woman great is thy faith. Be it unto thee even as thou wilt…” , And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.”

 It is interesting to note that there was still some weakness in the faith of the Nobleman’s reply regarding the power of Jesus. First, he still believes Jesus must  come down to heal his child. Second, he believes that Christ can heal his child but not raise him from the dead thus the urgency come down ere my child die as if then it would be too late. The nobleman under estimated the power of Christ. As Jesus has the same power over death that he has over bodily diseases. He is not only the creator of life but the restorer of life. 

 We see the test of the nobleman’s faith in verse 50:  Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth.  And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. Christ here gives us an example of his power that he not only could heal but could heal with so much ease without the trouble of a visit.  Jesus only says “thy son liveth” and the child is immediately healed. The nobleman would have Christ come down and heal his son;  Christ would heal his son, and not come down. We are all encouraged to pray, but only the lord can prescribe the best method used for healing, whether with words or a touch.

 Though Christ didn’t go down with him, the nobleman still believed in the words of Christ. He was satisfied with the method Jesus took. His faith was confirmed and perfected by the word and power of Jesus. He didn’t need to see any signs or miracles. He believed that the words of Christ were sufficient to heal his son. As evidence of the sincerity of his faith, When Christ said “Go thy way, thy son liveth” the nobleman departed without further conversation or disturbance.

 The nobleman was so satisfied that his son had been healed that he did not hurry home that night but departed leisurely the next morning. In verses 51 and 52, we see further confirmation of the nobleman’s faith in Christ. Upon his journey home, we are told in verse 51: “And as he was going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying Thy son liveth.  His servants most likely ran and met their master to tell him of the good news about his son because they knew of his great concern.

 Then we are told in verse 52: Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend.  And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.”  The nobleman wanted to have further evidence to confirm his faith.  The two things needed were (1) his child’s recovery was sudden and not gradual and (2) the exact time the fever left his son (7th hour). Both these were confirmed by his servants. The father knew this was also the exact hour that Jesus had told him “his son liveth”. (verse 53). His son had been healed instantaneously…further evidence that confirmed the nobleman’s faith in Christ’s word. Then we are told in verse 53 that the father himself believed and his whole house was converted. They not only believed that Christ could perform miracles but now believed Him to be the promised Messiah.  The cure of the son brought salvation to the whole family. This included all family members and servants.  They were now disciples and witnesses for Christ.

 In closing the Nobleman needed a miracle to confirm his faith and obtain salvation in Christ. There are times when we prefer the miracle over the miracle worker. Sometimes the greatest act of faith is not to ask for a miracle. One of the most amazing statements of faith in the Old Testament came from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as they faced the fiery furnace because of their obedience to God.

 They expressed true faith when they assured King Nebuchadnezzar “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand O’king.  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou has set up. (Dan. 3:17-18). They were so confident in God’s ability to deliver them, and they trusted Him so completely that they did not ask to be spared.

 These statements of faith caused the King to be so full of furry that he commanded his men to raise the  heat in the furnace seven times its normal temperature. However, the heat was so intense it slew the King’s own men that had bound and casted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fiery furnace.  (See Daniel 3:19-22) “24Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?   They answered  and said , True O King.  25He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt;  and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” (Dan. 3:24-25) 

So what  happened  ….God sent his angel to protect the three from the fire and spared all three!   

Does your faith need miracles to sustain it?  Or do you trust God so totally that you can say, “But if not, I will still trust the Lord”.

 In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost 

Amen             

Rev. Don Fultz

 

 


Rev Stephen Cooper Church of the Redeemer Fairbanks, Alaska

From time to time we are fortunate to receive a sermon from Rev Cooper in Fairbanks Alaska. The head of our northernmost church, Stephen is a brilliant and inspiring speaker. I wish we had video of him rather than just audio; but I am confident you will enjoy this. This sermon is for last week. Please take the time to listen to it.

 Click below to listen to this wonderful sermon For the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity:

 https://youtu.be/Siu70oa7QEA

 


 

 

Rev. David McMillan
AOC Minister at Large
Alabama

We are Fortunate today to have a sermon from Rev. David McMillian on St. Luke the Doctor.

None can adequately describe the radical contrast there is between the bondage and misery of the service of sin and the liberty and peace of the practical holiness. But anyone, who has personally experienced both, need have no difficulty in determining whether he be out of Christ or yoked to Him. If you have a peace which passes understanding and a joy which the world knows nothing of, you are a godly person. If despite both inward and outward opposition, you find obedience to Christ desirable and agreeable, then, His Spirit must indwell you, and the more you grow in grace, the easier His yoke and the lighter His burden.” 

ARTHUR W. PINK (1886-1952)Identification of the UnGodly
 English Christian evangelist and biblical scholar known for Calvinist and Puritan-like teachings)

 The Collect - St. Luke the Evangelist

ALMIGHTY God, who didst inspire thy servant Saint Luke the Physician, to set forth in the Gospel the love and healing power of thy Son; Manifest in thy Church the like power and love, to the healing of our bodies and our souls; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

LUKE the Dr…..and there are Doctors!  We celebrate Luke today ( Oct. 18 or today 20) the physician. OT: Isaiah 52:7-10; Epistle:2 Timothy 4:5-13; Gospel :Luke 4:14-21;

There are Doctors , and there are Doctors!

Doctors, nurses, their staff are important people in our lives. Who can remember when doctors made house visits?  I remember when I lived in Philadelphia as a kid. I was very sick.  Dr. Coffee came to see me. (was it a flu bug --I forget). Now paperwork seems to be the issue when they can't spend the time, but some still seem to do it. We all have great memories and present ones of some good medical care we have received. Today is the Day (actually 18 Oct) to remember doctors and medical all. 

Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord: Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts; With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are done here. Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;) And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me. Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis. Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you. Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house. And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it. The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen. (Colossians 4:2-18)

 Paul calls Luke in his letter to the Colossians 4:14 , “the beloved physician.” This was quite a commendation. He was beloved by God and Paul calls him beloved. What will be said about us? Are we resolute in our faith, trustworthy in doing the work of sharing the good news, the gospel ? Can God count on us? Can people count on us? Do we have resolute beliefs that come our faith in Christ and the Holy Scriptures, or do we drift with the times and the feelings of the moment? Do we look like the house built on rock or the house built on sand?

The author speaks of a high fever Luke 4:38 Simon's mother-in-law while Mt 8:14 speak only of a fever, and Mark 1:30 as well so medical knowledge seems to be present. The author speaks of a man full of leprosy 5:12 , so it was an advanced case. 8:43 the author speaks of an issue of blood 12 yrs " (she) had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any ...Mk 5:26 says this as well. But Jesus healed her when she touched His garment.

I titled this sermon because there are doctors and there are doctors and it takes a real DR to help us .....!  As we know some do not do as well as others. Of course our Lord is spoken of as the Great Physician Luke 4:23 ( Mark 2:17 "They that are whole have no need of a physician but they that are sick; I came not to call the righteous , but sinners" Luke 5:32 adds to repentance.)

---How does our faith into our work lives? That is the real question. Having a foundation in our lives helps us do our jobs better for God and man. Luke was such a person. He believed, and told about God and our Lord in such a way that others heard it . He wrote Acts of the Apostles as well it is believed. As a Gentile, Luke wrote for the salvation of all. He traveled with the Apostle Paul. Luke alone tells of the birth of Jesus, and moreover tells of the Lord's love for all women.

 A martyr is a witness. Mark Died in Alexandria , Egypt , after being dragged by horses through the streets until he was dead .

 Luke Was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous preaching to the lost.

 John Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution in Rome. However, he was miraculously delivered from death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos. The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve as Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey. He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully.

 Peter was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross. According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ had died.

Today we celebrate the medical----There are nurses, and there are nurses too. I found Jo Taylor informative who said in her column, " Things I have learned from being an ER Nurse"---  " There really is a light in your eyes that goes out when you die. It is humbling to watch. ...Playing practical jokes on the doctors makes the day go by faster. Surgeons don't have the ER sense of humor. If you tell a mother that her 18 year old son is dead, you will remember her face and her name forever. If you advocate for a mother to hold her 7 year old child one more time, she will remember your face and your name forever."

Here are some more, " Everyone's spelling nurse wrong.  It's spelled ANGEL."

Perhaps we should include Chaplains in this as well who deal with people of all faiths and try and bring man to God and God to man .

"We pray for all doctors, nurses and emergency workers. May they rejoice in the skills you have given them which enable them to bring hope, healing and wholeness to those in their care. May they also know guidance and support in times of pain and frustration when their skills are not enough to prevent permanent injury, disability or death. Bless each one of them, that they may be a blessing to others."
(c. Barbara A Scott ‘Shaping Prayer)

It is really all about the soul and body set forth in the Gospel " the love and healing power of thy Son..." So we pray the Church as well would manifest this too...the power and love of Christ to the healing of our bodies and our souls.

ALMIGHTY God, who didst inspire thy servant Saint Luke the Physician, to set forth in the Gospel the love and healing power of thy Son; Manifest in thy Church the like power and love, to the healing of our bodies and our souls; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen



AOC Worldwide Prayer List

I have received updates from a few and those will be the first added to the list. Please send all prayer requests and updates to aocworldwide@gmail.com for future reports. If you would like to be removed from list just respond with remove in the subject line.

Keep Praying for the following:

Shamu,
Tom, Craig, Jim, Dotty, Jan Jessup, Steve, Josh Morley, Jennifer, AOC USA, AOC Missions,
Zach, Jess, Luke, Jacquie, Harper, Bishop Zephaniah, Jim Kniffen, Linda,

Prayer Needed:

 

Katie Pope – Just beginning treatment for Stage 4 Pulmonary Carcinoma “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14)

 Mike Gettinger– heart related difficulties

 Jim Sevier – God’s Peace in his life

Mauri Turner – Stomach Cancer

Charles Pittman – heart issues

 Anne Lee – Lung Cancer – recent diagnosis

 Colin Beall and daughter Lowery – each has a different type of cancer

 Dallas Minner – man with possible breast cancer – tests this week

Extended Issues need continued prayer;

Laurie with long Covid Symptoms - Extreme exhaustion, heart palpitations, breathing problems and unstable blood pressures are constant worries causing depression to settle in.

 Malcom Allred – Cancer Treatment

 Jim Kniffen – came out of surgery for Staph infection in knee replacement – will need 6 weeks IV Antibiotics to continue to defeat the Staph

 Hurricane Helen Recovery

Please keep praying for all the people and towns affected by Hurricane Helene

All Those in Recovery from Hurricane MILTON

 

Pray for all those affected by Wildfires around the United States






[1] Sir Winston Churchill, Speech, 1941, Harrow School

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