241222 AOC Sunday Report

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Worldwide Communion

Fourth Sunday in Advent

Sunday Report

 

  

 The Third Sunday in Advent – December 22, 2024

 Fourth Sunday in Advent 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 95-96, with the Collect first:

The Collect for Every Day in Advent

This Collect is to be repeated every day, after the other Collects in Advent, until Christmas Day.

ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.

The Collect for the Fourth Sunday in Advent

O LORD, raise up, we pray thee, thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

 The Epistle for the Fourth Sunday in Advent. The Epistle. Philippians iv. 4.

REJOICE in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus,

  The Gospel for the Fourth Sunday in Advent.  The Gospel. St. John i. 19.

 THIS is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? That we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; he it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

 

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 (right)

 

 

Points to Ponder:

 A Christmas Carol for Children

 Good news from heaven the angels bring,
Glad tidings to the earth they sing:
To us this day a child is given,
To crown us with the joy of heaven.

 This is the Christ, our God and Lord,
Who in all need shall aid afford:
He will Himself our Saviour be,
From sin and sorrow set us free.

 To us that blessedness He brings,
Which from the Father's bounty springs:
That in the heavenly realm we may
With Him enjoy eternal day.

 All hail, Thou noble Guest, this morn,
Whose love did not the sinner scorn!
In my distress Thou cam'st to me:
What thanks shall I return to Thee?

 Were earth a thousand times as fair,
Beset with gold and jewels rare,
She yet were far too poor to be
A narrow cradle, Lord, for Thee.

 Ah, dearest Jesus, Holy Child!
Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled,
Within my heart, that it may be
A quiet chamber kept for Thee.

 Praise God upon His heavenly throne,
Who gave to us His only Son:
For this His hosts, on joyful wing,
A blest New Year of mercy sing.

~ Martin Luther ~

 ...but the Seed of Righteousness,
shall be delivered. (Proverbs 11:21)

 Anglican Orthodox Church

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDING BISHOP
PO  Box 128
Statesville, N.C. 28687
Phone: (704)873-8365 • Email: aoc.worldwide@gmail.com
website: aocinternational.org

 Letter from Bishop Jerry L. Ogles, Christmas 2024 Anno  Domini, the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide                                                         

 “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
Gospel of St. Matthew 1:1 (KJV)

             Christmas signifies the fulfillment of God’s ancient promise to Abraham some sixteen generations therefrom eventually descending to David and beyond. Viewing the genealogy presented in Matthew chapter one may bewilder the casual reader, but that table provides a marvelous revelation of the means and purpose by which God has kept that promise.

            Our Lord Jesus Christ is that Seed which was promised to Abraham and through King David; but that line descends through many shadowy characters on its way. Many were evil. One was a harlot (and gentile Canaanite) who was saved by her faith and trust in the God of Israel. King David himself was a man after God’s own heart though he committed the horrendous sins of adultery and murder.  This proves the frailty of us all in our depending upon our own righteousness to make our way to Heaven.

            God promised that Messiah to Abraham (Genesis 12:3 & 22:18). And renewed the same promise to David (2 Samuel 7:12, Psalm 89:3, 131:111). Christmas is the consummation of the promises of God from Genesis 3:15 to Matthew 1, and to our own day.

            Christmas is our great Sabbath of all time. Should we keep it with revelry and riot, or with love and peace? Satan is very unhappy about our celebration of Christmas. He tries to eradicate all mention of the name of the Lord in that day. He has invented a Santa Claus who has taken the prominent role in the minds of our youth, he knows of all they do good – or bad. He has attempted to expunge the very name that marks the Holy Day – Xmas. He has re-labeled, with the help of secular government, the name of Christmas to ‘happy holiday.’ In fact, Satan and his adherents abhor every mention of the name of Christ. He will readily allow Mohammad, Buddha, or Confucius, but never Christ.

            There is a new Spirit afoot today in America and many other lands of those who have slept while the walls have been under siege, but now seem prepared to mount the walls and man the ramparts of faith. Let us be part of that spiritual awakening like unto which our America experienced in her early founding.

           Let us keep Christmas from henceforth in both Spirit and Truth.

 Merry Christmas to all, and God bless all who love the Lord.

 In Christ Alone during ADVENT Season,

  † Jerry Ogles

 

                                                              

Jerry Ogles
Presiding Bishop - Metropolitan
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 videos at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuW3bgXBJFomPB5mZ4Oigxg

 

 The Names of Jesus Series:   The Son of David

Click link  to view and listen: https://youtu.be/sN_9dFiDFGk?si=A611JkU9ZG8TYZ6-

 

  Sermon for the Fourth Sunday in Advent – Bishop Jerry Ogles
Based on the Gospel Lesson for Christmas Eve – (Matthew 11:2-19)

 

NOTE: I have chosen to use the lectionary text for Christmas Eve celebrated on this date.

  “⁶⁷And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, ⁶⁸Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, ⁶⁹And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; ⁷⁰As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: ⁷¹That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; ⁷²To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; ⁷³The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, ⁷⁴That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, ⁷⁵In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. ⁷⁶And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; ⁷⁷To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, ⁷⁸Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the DAYSPRING FROM ON HIGH  hath visited us, ⁷⁹To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. ⁸⁰And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.” (Luke 1:67-80; all scripture quoted is from the King James Bible) 

            ADVENT and CHRISTMAS are the most wonderful seasons of the year. The whole world seems to fall under the spell of friendly greetings and warm affection during these seasons – even those who have no earthly idea of the meaning of the two seasons, or the cause for the outpouring of near-filial love. It seems that the clouds are parted to reveal a glorious Sunrise, and that is most particularly what the season is all about – the Coming of the Light and Life of Man, our Lord Jesus Christ! He is the Dayspring from on High to which the prophet, Zacharias, refers in the leading text above. Even in lands where the Gospel has received little acceptance, the Christmas décor is obvious everywhere. Unfortunately, they have learned the materialistic side of Christmas and not of the One behind the Season. The Jesus Christ of Christmas has not been learned well in the outer frontiers of Christianity, and, tragically, has been forgotten in heartlands once so bold in preaching the Gospel that men willingly surrendered their lives for the privilege of Christ.

            The first great Advent morning was the beginning of days at Creation. “¹In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. ²And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:1-2) There had existed a night of eternity on this earthen sphere until that first night in which The Spirit of God “moved upon the face of the waters.” This, insofar as mortal man can comprehend, was the BEGINNING – at least the beginning of all that we can see, hear, and feel. Genesis 1 & 2 describe the first night upon the earth. But then what did God do? “³And 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.” (Genesis 1:3-5)

We can see from this text that God began His Creation in darkness – it began with the first night. Then God, by the power of His Word, spoke Light into being upon the earth. First, there was darkness, then light! What was the source of this Light? It was not the sun, moon, or stars, for they were not created until the fourth day. God Himself was the Light. Our Lord Jesus Christ was the Master Artist who set the world to life and Light. “¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²The same was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:1-4) 

We do not often relate the Advent and Christmas story to the Gospel of St. John, chapter one, but it is the heart and soul of John’s entire Gospel. “⁹That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. ¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. ¹¹He came unto his own, and his own received him not. ¹²But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: ¹³Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. ¹⁴And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:9-14)

Observe that the ‘evening’ and the ‘morning’ were the first day. In biblical times, and still in the computations of the Jewish religion, day begins in darkness and ends in light. So is every work of God. Can you imagine the ambient Light emanating from our Lord on that first day? There could have been NOTHING hidden from that Light. Every day of Creation began in darkness, and ended with Light. Our lives are the same.

So our Lord is the Source and Generator of Light – the “Dayspring from on High.” The source of energy of the Sun is tremendous and beyond our understanding, but it all descends from the Maker of Light and Life Itself.  “¹⁹We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.” (2 Peter 1:19)

It is true that the foreordained Will of God has been working from before the first dawn of light on a darkened world; but so has His promise of a Redeemer been steadily moving to fulfillment beyond the veil of time since eternity for He is the Lamb of God without spot or blemish sacrificed from before the Creation of the World. That Light that first shed its beams on a world without form and immersed in steep darkness is now available to be shed upon the souls of men on new mornings of personal salvation in Christ.

Just as the day breaks to the singing of birds and droplets of dew on the roses, so the Holy Singing of the Heavenly Choir resounded from the remote reaches of the Universe at the words of Zacharias as his lips echoed the prophecies of the ages: “. . .whereby the DAYSPRING FROM ON HIGH  hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.”

Light itself has peculiar qualities about which we have studied before. For one thing, Light is constant and absolute. If Einstein is correct, Light is the only absolute known to man traveling precisely at 186,000 miles per second regardless the vantage point of the observer. Light does not bend, but travels always in a straight line – a quality characteristic of its Maker, the Lord.  Light reveals both beauty and danger. It reveals to us the dangers in the way, and the pleasant lanes of life that are good and wholesome to our souls. Natural light contains the seven colors in the rainbow; but joined together, white is the product. Light, like the Spirit of God, cannot be seen with the naked eye – only the objects it reveals to our eyes. 

A tiny light is more powerful than a whole house of darkness. A tiny candle can disperse the darkness in the room from every corner. Sin is the tool of Satan but, like the snail, sin cannot tolerate light. The snail hurries to the shelter of a rock at the first hint of sunrise. During the cover of darkness, the snail devours the garden labors of others, but disappears with coming light. Neither can sin, or its Devil, tolerate the slightest hint of light. This is why dictators are so adamant to destroy any vestiges of free speech. But “…greater is he that in in you, than he wthat is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

The world was NOTHING until the Light of God appeared upon it. He is not only Light, but Life as well. But the Light is what gives force to our faith! “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)

Before the coming of Emmanuel, men had hope and promise for Light upon which to hang their faith; but now, we have the Light itself to lighten our path. As the great old minister, Alexander MacLaren describes it: “Now darkness, all the world over, is the emblem of three things -- ignorance, impurity, sorrow. And all men who are rent away from Jesus Christ, or on whom His beams have not yet fallen, this text tells us, have that triple curse lying upon them.” May I be so bold as to claim that ignorance of things Holy and righteous has never been so prevalent in the land that I love as today. Men will believe anything that a pretentious man says and nothing that God has said. To admit the veracity and applicability of the Word of God requires a certain change in outlook on life. This, the detractors do not desire to see. They prefer to believe that they themselves are the captains of their souls and masters of their fate instead of an Almighty God.

I may claim the same is true of impurity of life, manners, and common decency in America. Sex, drugs, infidelity in marriage, lying for advantage, dishonesty – all of these hold a tighter rein today on the American society than Christian morality has forever held up until the last four generations.

The latter point, SORROW, speaks for itself. The joy of life and accomplishment that once marked the vibrant youth of America has turned to drugs, alcohol, depression, misery, and shiftlessness. 

The answer to our modern dilemma is as close as the Bible in the lower drawer of most men’s bedroom dressers. Reach for it! Read it! Digest it! And let its health-giving Words become the nourishment for every cell in your spiritual body!

 In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen

 In Christ Alone during ADVENT Season,

 † Jerry Ogles

 Presiding Bishop. 
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide & Chancellor, Faith Theological Seminary

 

 Fourth Sunday in Advent

Bishop Jack Arnold
Church of the Faithful Centurion
Descanso, California

 Good morning! I hope you are all doing well. In today’s sermon we will be looking at the unifying message of the Collect, Epistle and Gospel and examine how they share a common message as we enter into a period of preparation for the coming of our Lord and Savior. Let us start by reading today’s collect:

The Collect for the Fourth Sunday in Advent

O LORD, raise up, we pray thee, thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be honour and glory, world without end.  Amen.

 As is oft the case, today’s propers all tie together to reinforce a point and build our understanding of what God wants and expects from each of us. The Collect asks for God’s help for us to accept His Help and do it His Way. We are asking for this because of our natural condition. We are asking that the Holy Ghost help us overcome our natural tendency to sin and to instead act as God would have us act.

This is a thought that is constantly resonating throughout the Collects and not only them but all of Scriptures. That is because it is a constant truth that without the help of the Lord, we are doomed to fail to follow Him. We need His Help if we are to succeed in the race of life! This truth is constant through history. Whenever a group of people have strayed from doing what God asks, they have never prospered in the end. And groups of people will always stray from doing what God asks as that is in our nature. We are in constant need God’s help to fight our nature and to do what He asks of us. From the very beginning of time to the very end of time this will always stay true. That is why we must continually rely on Scripture and the Holy Ghost for inspiration and guidance and comfort in our lives. We must stay on constant vigilance against backsliding, as a backslid Christian is worse off than one who has never heard the Word at all. If we allow the Holy Ghost into our hearts and allow Him to direct and guide our steps, then we can avoid the possibility of backsliding.

It is oft supposed Christians are dour souls, with no sense of happiness or humor.  Perhaps this thought comes from those who have heard from others what the Bible says, but have never actually taken the time to read it and understand it. This is unfortunately a very common misconception these days. For if they understood it then they would not be thinking that we are dour at all!  Reading the Bible as a whole proves this often popular train of thought to be patently false. That may or may not have been the way the Puritans thought, but then again, the Puritans were not holding to the consistent truth of the Bible. After all God commands us to make a “joyful” noise unto the Lord! Not, a dour, grumbling and solemn noise, but an exceedingly JOYFUL noise unto the Lord! There is nothing in the Bible that says you cannot have fun whilst worshipping our Lord; in fact that is the preferred way to worship Him! If we enjoy worshipping the Lord, then we are most apt to do more of our best to follow Him, if we are enjoying ourselves whilst doing so!

After all, the one said to be the most dour of all, Paul, tells us to be happy. In his Epistle he mentioned rejoicing in the Lord always. Not just happy, but to REJOICE.  REJOICE in the Lord ALWAYS and AGAIN I say REJOICE!  How much more fun can you have?  However at the same time though Paul cautions us to be moderate in everything we do, no excesses, an even keel. We find that we run into a lot of our problems when we do not heed Paul’s warning and over indulge in things that we should be enjoying in moderation. Work hard, but maintain a time and space for our family, honor our country, and above all honor God.  Maintain an even balance between work and play so to speak and moderation in both areas. 

In the Gospel John recounts John the Baptist’s role in preparing the way for Jesus.  The Pharisees were troubled with the simplicity of his message.  They were looking for something more complex, less straightforward, something more like themselves. This is much like many people in the world today who dismiss Christianity as being too simplistic and that would prefer something more complex, something they can get around. It is the human nature at work here, humans in general will always try and find loopholes around what we are supposed to do.

The Pharisees were much like modern day lawyers and liberals, always searching for a loophole in the law so they can do what they want to do without following the law. They failed to realize that there is no loophole behind loving God and loving your neighbor as thyself. They could not comprehend of this. They feared what they couldn’t understand and that is why they wanted Jesus to be put to death. They didn’t understand God’s plan for Jesus and His Ministry.  There are too many people today like them who seek to avoid doing what is right so they can do what they want to do. We need God’s help so we do not become like those people!

If the world would do what God asked, our lives would be so much better, we would all be living together in happiness. Doing what God asks would solve all of the problems facing us today on earth. Peace on earth will not be possible until the world accepts Him into their hearts. This is the perfect season for those who haven’t yet, to accept Him, to acknowledge Him at His first true appearance amongst us, at His Birth. Up until the end of our time here on earth, there is always time to accept Him, but do not wait until it is too late to do so!

When Saint John is recording the actions of John the Baptist, he tells us when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?  They got an answer they neither expected nor really understood, he said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias … I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; he it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. They had no clue what he was talking about.  All they could see was what they expected, a king of this world.  Yet, John the Baptist knew the kingdom was not of this world, for the King was not of this World, but the Eternal King of Eternity.  John the Baptist later says He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:30)  This is true of us, also.  We must let Jesus permeate us and become the dominant force in us.  But, it does not happen in the twinkling of the eye. Jack Lewis tells us, We are doing well enough if the slow process of being more in Christ and less in ourselves has made a decent beginning in a long life (it will be completed only in the next world). Jack Lewis suggests you try his plan; I pray ‘Lord, show me just so much (neither more nor less) about myself as I need for doing thy will now.’

The world is extremely complex; it is full of problems, temptations and difficulties.  It is full of obstacles for us, yet all Christianity offers is a few simple solutions.  We often hear there are no simple answers to complex questions.  Actually, that is not true.  There are simple answers to complex problems, they are the only ones which can and will work.  The problem is they are not the answers people want.  Most people do not want to know what they are supposed to do, lest they have to do it.  They want to be told what they want to do is at least okay, even though it is clearly not okay. But we need to know what we are doing is actually “Okay”, not what Joe on the corner claims is Okay. To do that, we have to read the Scriptures and listen to what God says is Okay, because He really does know the best in this matter for us.

Once again, when you think about being a Christian, think a bit about these quotes from GK Chesterton:

·        Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.

·        The word good has many meanings. For example, if a man were to shoot his grandmother at a range of five hundred yards, I should call him a good shot, but not necessarily a good man.

·        The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.

·        Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions.

·        A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.

 G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936)

We are called to a new and different life, we ask the Lord to both lead us and follow us, to keep us always.  Our goal is to do the Lord’s will, not to avoid 613 laws.  To do what is right and be humble.

 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?

 It is by our actions we are known.

 Be of God - Live of God - Act of God

 Bishop Jack Arnold

 

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 Fourth Sunday in Advent 

 Philippians 4:4-7; John 1:19-28

JOHN THE BAPTIST AND JESUS

John the Baptist and Jesus have this in common with the people of Israel: both are children of miracles, since one was born of a barren and elderly couple, Elizabeth and Zechariah - just as Isaac was born of Abraham and Sarah - (Luke 1:7,24-25): “And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years” ... “And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.”; and Jesus was born of a pure and spotless virgin (Luke 1:30-35): “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

John the Baptist and Jesus are almost the same age, six months apart; Elizabeth was six months pregnant when Gabriel announced to Mary that she would be a virgin mother (Luke 1:26): “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,” It is known that the Zechariah’s tour of duty at the Temple fell in the second half of September. John the Baptist was born nine months later, at the end of June - it's St John's Day. And Jesus came six months after John, at the end of December. The date of Christmas is therefore historic and has nothing to do with the pagan festivals of the winter solstice, a Roman fest that was initiated one century later. (Luke 1:8-9,23) “And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, 9According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.” ... “And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.” It was in the Holy of Holies of the Temple that Zechariah was visited by the Angel of the Lord, on Yom Kippur day, therefore at the end of September - beginning of October. (Luke 1:11-13): “And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.” Chance has no effect in the breeding of John the Baptist and Jesus. They were both born of God's will alone. In the same way, the Hebrew people were begotten of Abraham and Sarah by divine initiative (Genesis 18:1-2,10-14) “And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” Belonging to the Lord's Church is therefore not a personal choice, but a response to a call from God. See Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-6): “And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” See also the contrast between the freedom of God who calls whomever He wills to be born (Isaac, John the Baptist, Jesus) or to be born again (Paul) and the dependence of men on the will of God who decides for us. Basically, we only conform to His holy will. We cannot do anything good on our own, for God-Holy is the source of all goodness.

It was not even the parents of John the Baptist and Jesus who chose their first names, but the Lord. Thus for John the Baptist (Luke 1:13) “But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.” And the same for Jesus (Luke 1:30-31): “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.” It was not the theologians of the Reformation who invented the doctrine of Predestination, for it is a constant divine practice, from Genesis to Revelation. On the contrary, it takes a great deal of pride to believe that one can influence God and change His sovereign will. See Mary's answer (Luke 1:36-38): “And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” The holiness of Christians is not to concurrence God’s perfection by taking the place of God, but to submit to the will of the Lord.

Do you believe that John the Baptist chose to live in the desert, in complete destitution? (Matthew 3:1,4): “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,” ... “And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.” Such destitution is not a natural ambition. Do you believe that Jesus chose to incarnate in a stable and die on an infamous cross, in excruciating pain? (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.” If Jesus Christ can do nothing of Himself, what about us miserable sinners? You can guess the answer...

John the Baptist and Jesus are cousins through women; to Mary, the angel Gabriel declares (Luke 1:36): “And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.” John the Baptist and Jesus have known each other since the Visitation, and while they were both in their mothers' wombs, John, already formed, greeted his cousin Jesus who was still only an embryo, which denotes the value of a fetus in the eyes of God (Luke 1:39-44): “And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.” Jesus did not come to our world to bring joy but redemption, and if we leap for joy at Christmas, it is because, like Elizabeth, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. It is because we realize, without fully grasping it, that we were lost sinners, and that we are saved by the grace of God, if we believe, “as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17b).

John the Baptist and Jesus are cousins, and we too are part of their family, the Church. We are adopted children of the Father, brothers of Christ and therefore cousins of John the Baptist. Christmas is also that. It all begins at Christmas: the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ, Christ's teaching, His work of redemption when He surrendered Himself to Satan to die on the cross, and His victory over the same Satan, by rising from the dead (Romans 5:10): “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

(John 1:19-20): “And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ” Imagine the disappointment of those Jewish officials who were waiting for the Messiah with as much excitement as our children are waiting for their Christmas presents! As it is said in one cartoon story: "Caramba! failed again!". You understand that such disappointment generates black anger in them... who will refer to the true Messiah: our Lord Jesus Christ - paradoxically. Again, they believe they are exercising an autonomous will, when they are remotely guided from above, and unknowingly participate in the work of salvation, which requires that they put Christ to death; this is the role that the Father has assigned to them (Ephesians 1:3-9): “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself.”

In the same way that John the Baptist bowed before Jesus, while still in the womb of his mother Elizabeth, he pays homage to him (John 1:26-27): “John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.” Let us not imagine that being brothers of Christ exempts us from honoring and praising Him by magnifying Him by our thoughts, words and actions... If His cousin John, His eldest bows down to Christ, let us bow down to our King!

And here is the account of their meeting in the Jordan at the baptism of Christ (John 1:32-34): “And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.” John is not lying when he says that he did not know Christ, for he knew Him only as a man. After seeing the Holy Spirit descend on him like a dove and hearing the Father, he understands that his little cousin Jesus is the Son of the Father, the great King of Heaven (Mark 1:9-11): “And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” John the Baptist only had a clue about it. He now holds the evidence.

Of course, Christ did not need to be baptized, but when He came to the Jordan river, He drew from it the sins of all men who washed themselves in it from them, to bear them on the cross. Our past, present, and future sins have been nailed to the cross with Jesus Christ, if we believe in Him and obey Him. And what does he ask of us? He wants us to be His disciples (Matthew 28:18-20): “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Christ wants us to love one another, to forgive those who have offended us and asks us to do so: to pray for our enemies, to share our possessions with the needy - which we do through our taxes and social contributions - and to use compassion and mercy, especially by teaching the Commandments of God and His Law of Love. Ten Commandments only, plus the Summary of the Law of Love... Is it so complicated?

May Christmas be the feast of our obedience to Christ, and the manifestation of the mutual love that the Father has placed in us, through His Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

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

 SERMON for Christmas Day

Hebrews 1:1-12; John 1:1-14

 CHRIST IS OUR LIGHT

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

 Who turned the Light off, so that we find ourselves in a world of darkness? The story of the little girl with the matches was written to remind us that without light and fire, we cannot live. Now, we have no spiritual matches. Only the Holy Spirit of God can kindle the light of the knowledge of God's Word in our souls and the fire of faith in our hearts (Luke 12:49): “I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?”, Jesus says. And John the Baptist announced it in Matthew 3:11: “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire”

 The One who comes after John the Baptist is not an ordinary man. John the Baptist says that He is more powerful than he; in fact, He is all-mighty; He is THE Almighty. He is the Light of the world. But do we know what light is about? Scientists speak of a vibration or energy, but it has never been possible to grasp it for analysis, because it is not physical. You cannot touch it. We only see it if we are spotted by one of its rays, or if its light is reflected by any object. It is known to have two essential properties: 1°) Light fills the Universe; space appears black to us but it is crossed by the myriads of rays of light coming from the sun and the other stars; 2°) The speed of light is constant: nothing and no one can change it - and it is one of the only constants in the Universe, if not the only one. But without light and its energy, no life would be impossible, and the Universe would be a Universe of death, entirely frozen and barren.

 The Egyptians and other pagans knew something about this, for they worshipped the god Rā, their idol of the Sun; but their science did not go so far as to distinguish an invisible Person at the origin of the visible Light: God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Creator of the Universe. As Almighty God, the Creator is the source of all energy, He is Almighty. He is constant like the Light; He is eternal, He is the Eternal, the one, the only, and the true God. And like the Light, He fills the Universe: God is everywhere (but everything is not God, just God-created).

 And not only is God everywhere, but He is at home everywhere. This is how He can invite Himself into the world and incarnate Himself in the womb of a Virgin to be born of a woman like each one of us. He shares and assumes our humanity, except for sin, because God cannot disobey His own will, otherwise He would not be God Almighty. And we have no instance that God has ever done anything against His own will. Nothing and no one can oppose Him. All decrees of His are irrevocable.

 The Apostle John states it firmly: Our Lord Jesus Christ deserves this title of Lord because He is the Word of God, God made a man, God Himself in flesh and blood, as the symbols of faith of the Apostles and of Nicaea-Constantinople make it clear.

 In a symbolic language, John expresses a scientific truth about the incarnate Word of God, Jesus Christ (John 1:4): “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” Life is light, that is to say: pure energy, like light. Today, we know how to build an entire artificial human body, organ by organ, and bind them together. But we don't know how to give it vital energy. In reality, we know how to make an artificial corpse, but that's all. With Artificial Intelligence, we can produce advanced robots that can imitate life, but are not alive. If their electrical energy source is cut off, they stop. They are inanimate, as if dead, until someone lights them again. This is another image of the Resurrection of the bodies that will take place on the Last Day: God will rekindle the vital energy in us, as on the sixth day of Creation (Genesis 2:7): “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

 When Christ is conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, He who is THE living one, He becomes a man like us, a tiny baby lying in a manger because He is the food of men, the heavenly Manna that nourishes our spiritual life. And this manger is made of wood, just like the cross on which he will finally be nailed as a common blasphemer by those who do not believe that he is God the Son, even though he has given all kinds of signs and evidences of this, both in deed and in word (John 3:1-2): “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.”

 The idea that the Almighty God could assume human flesh and visit us to touch us personally simply did not cross Nicodemus' mind. As a Pharisee, he knew that Adam and Eve had been promised a Savior, and the Hebrew people had been waiting for Him for more than four thousand years (Genesis 3:15): “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Jesus as a man is indeed an offspring of Eve through his mother, Mary, and it was He who crushed the serpent's head when he rose again on the third day, as the prophets and Christ Himself had foretold.

 Christ is therefore the Light capable of driving out the darkness of the empire of the dead, the kingdom of Satan and the Ancient serpent. But sinful men prefer darkness to light. They choose death over life. It's called the culture of death. It is indeed easier to kill a child in the mother's womb than to resurrect it afterwards! And yet this is what God will do, on the Day of Judgment: His parents will then be confronted with the child they have conceived together, resurrected by Christ, alive. And this child will say, "Father, forgive them, they didn't know what they were doing." Imagine the parents' faces! They will not know where to hide themselves and will want to get away, so overwhelmed will they be by emotion. And they will be cast into hell if they have not repented while they were alive. They had many choices; the choices of abstinence, contraception, adoption, or keeping the child to raise it; In other words, four choices instead of the single one (and a single choice is no choice, really) promoted by Planned Parenthood: the death of an innocent person! Hear them cry out like the Jews at Jesus' trial: "Put him to death! Crucify him!". But Jesus escaped this fatal fate, and even the slaughter of the holy innocents, later "because His hour had not come yet."

 My friends, now you know who extinguished the Light that came into the world: it is Satan and all the murderers who carry out Satan’s four wills, whether these murderers are men or women. For a murderer is doing the work of Satan, the great disobedient, and the enemy of God, the destroyer of all life. But be of good cheer: The Light has come into the world (John 1:9-13): “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” God chooses His elect ones. We miserable creatures have no choice to oppose our election - see how Paul was converted by Christ on the road to Damascus! (Acts 9:3-4): “And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” Jesus is indeed that heavenly Light that enlightens every man, according to the Father's will alone.

 And this same Paul tells us the true identity of this "little Jesus", born at Christmas and set in a manger (Hebrews 1:2-3): “Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” For Paul, who saw the Light emitted by Christ as on the day of the Transfiguration, the "little Jesus" is in reality the great God the Savior, the Creator of all things, and the King of the Universe, our Lord and Master, the One who redeemed us at the price of His precious blood - a unique, perfect blood, wholly and divine. Paul passes Mary over in silence - he does not mention her because her role is passive, secondary in the history of our salvation, as she herself declares to the Angel Gabriel (Luke 1/38): “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”

 On the other hand, Paul is full of praise and glorious adjectives aimed at the Lord Jesus Christ: He is the Son of God, superior to the angels - and therefore superior to men - praised and adored by all the angels of heaven (Hebrews 1:5-6): “For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.” And the icing on the cake is found in verse 8: “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.” Christ reigns over the Universe. He is the King of kings, the Lord! So much for his identity card; and here is his Resume (v. 10): “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands” Beside Him, even a bishop is just a little ant, an abortion – and this is how Paul refers to himself (1 Corinthians 15:8): “And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.” Yes, Christ blesses abortions! His compassion precedes our birth. We are His creatures from our conception, for He has chosen and adopted us even before the foundation of the world.

 John confirms our adoption by our heavenly Father, despite our imperfections (1 John 2:1b-3): “And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.”; and further on (1 John 3:1-2): “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. " We are forgiven by the highest authority in the Universe, if we have faith. That is why there will be no Court of Appeal in Heaven. We will be judged by the Just Judge; He is omniscient, He knows everything, and He does not need evidence nor confessions to convince us. And it is precisely for this reason that we would be utterly wrong not to repent now of every sin against the Law of God, instead of vainly persisting in lies.

My friends, let us shed light in our hearts. Or rather, let us allow ourselves to be enlightened by the grace of Jesus Christ, who came to save us by forgiving us all our sins for which we have asked Him for forgiveness, in faith and with love (1 John 1:9): “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

 As we contemplate the family nativity scene with its "little Jesus" at Christmas time, let it sink into our heads that this baby is in fact our sovereign Judge. An incorruptible Judge because He is eternal, but a compassionate Judge who forgives us because He loves us, because it is He who made us (1 John 3:5): “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.” This is true for all those who repent and confess their sin before God in all sincerity and honesty (1 John 2:12b): “... your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.” It is also the best way to progress in holiness. Let us be quick to love our Christian brothers and sisters (1 John 2:10): “He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.” And above all, let us keep this wonderful hope of eternal life (1 John 2:25): “And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.”

 At Christmas, “... the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.” (1 John 2:8b). 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.

 

Fourth Sunday in Advent

 

 Just who was John the Baptist? Enquiring minds want to know. And well we should know about him for his courage, and his godly wisdom. To begin with, he was born into a priestly family under some unusual circumstances, in particular his birth to aged parents much as Isaac was given of God to Abraham and Sarah. John was also a cousin of our Lord on his mother’s side of the family (St. Luke 1:5-25, 39-45 and 57-80). And like our Lord, John the Baptist’s early life is a “closed book.” We next hear about him in the gospels in his role as the forerunner of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke (see Isaiah 40:3-11) and which was noted in all four gospel accounts (see St. Matthew 3:1-12; St. Mark 1:1-6; St. Luke 3:10-18; St. John 1:19-27).

 John preached a clear and simple message: Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (St. Matthew 3:2). But what does it mean to repent? The biblical understanding of this word speaks of having a change of mind. John, being filled with the Holy Ghost, called the people to turn from their wicked ways and have a change of mind and heart toward God. He emphasized the urgency of such a change when he proclaimed that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And very soon thereafter our Lord appeared on the banks of the Jordan River seeking to be baptized of him (St. Matthew 3:13-17). Only after that, did our Lord begin his earthly ministry, preaching that very message of John with this difference: our Lord was not a prophet limited to one time and place. He is the Christ— the Messiah— who came to bring salvation to all who would believe on his name. And so the sacrament of Christian baptism was born on the banks of the Jordan River. According to one commentator, when our Lord was baptized it resulted in three evidences of his messianic nature:

1) the Holy Ghost descended as a dove and rested upon him;

2) the Spirit’s descent was accompanied by the voice of the Father who commended his Son to John et al; and later,

3) per our Lord’s prescription in the Great Commission (St. Matthew 28:19- 20),

every regenerated Christian ought to likewise receive this sacrament (or ordinance) using the trinitarian formula.

 At this point, let us examine the manner of baptism and the preconditions for it. The Jews had pools called mikvahs that were used for ritual bathing prior to entering the Temple court. And on that account, it was not uncommon for them to immerse themselves, either whole or in part for religious purposes. Ergo, these baptisms performed by John the Baptist would not have been viewed by the Jews as strange or foreign, but quite in line with their faith. And we may safely deduce that hundreds, perhaps even thousands of them were baptized by John. What then were the preconditions for being baptized? They were repentance— or the rejection of and regret for past sins— and confession— or the acknowledgment of those sins before God.

 In St. John’s gospel (1:19-28), the priests of the Jews came and asked of John: Who art thou? (v.19), to which he replied: I am not the Christ (v.20). Afterwards, they pressed him with a follow-up question: What then? Art thou Elias? And he said I am not. They further asked: Art thou that prophet? And heanswered, No (v.21). Evidently they still weren’t satisfied so they continued their inquiry: What sayest thou of thyself? to which he responded saying: I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias (vv.22-23). At that point they asked him about his authority to baptize as he was not the Christ, to which he proclaimed: I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you whom ye know not; he it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose (vv.25-27).

 Needless to say, the incredulity of the priests persists even unto this day with modernist theologians and seminarians. They have taken the question which John’s disciples asked of our Lord in St. Matthew 11:1-6 as proof of his “supposed” uncertainty about him. Let us now examine those passages. And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities. Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another (vv.1-3)? Per these verses, the modernists have attempted to create an image of a “Doubting John the Baptist.” And this should come as no surprise because a sizable number of them doubt the divinity of Christ, the veracity of the Bible, and, in some cases, the very existence of God. But as they embrace their false image of Christ, they have willingly ignored the truth of John the Baptist’s own affirmation of our Lord: Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, after me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me (St. John 1:29-30). John did not send his disciples to satisfy his mind about the true identity of Jesus Christ. He sent them to be confirmed in their own minds concerning who he is. John the Baptist knew that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, and it is too bad that many of today’s pastors do not.

 John’s ministry began to decline the moment he baptized our Lord, and lasted but briefly until his death at the hands of Herod Antipas (St. John 3:22-36). Such was chronicled in St. Matthew’s gospel (14:3-12) wherein we are informed that he suffered martyrdom for his criticism of Herod’s adultery with his brother’s wife. But even as death took him, the gates of heaven swung open wide to receive this great and humble man who was sent by God to prepare the way for him whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting (Micah 5:2). And our Lord paid tribute to John the Baptist upon hearing of him being cast into prison saying, ⁷What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? ⁸But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. ⁹But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. ¹¹Verily, I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he (St. Matthew 11:7-11). God called John the Baptist to go before our Lord and proclaim him openly before men, calling them to repentance and to be baptized. Our Lord then built upon that message, and if we are to learn from him, then we too must come to God with humble and contrite hearts, seeking his pardon and receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

 In closing, it is important to note that John the Baptist did not have a multitude of earthly resources at his disposal. He did not have a church building, or fine robes. He did not have a band of musicians pounding out secular rhythms, neither did he demand a tithe. He did not make promises of healing that he could not perform. No, John’s message was plain, and simple: Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. If we would be wise in the Lord, we will heed his calling to do likewise that we may truly be the children of God.

 Let us pray,

Father, we thank thee for thy servant John the Baptist whose ministry heralded the coming of our Lord; and assist us as we continue to watch for our Lord’s return; for this we ask in the name of him who is the same yesterday, today and forever, even thy Son, Jesus Christ. 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 for the Fourth Sunday in Advent

 

Jeremiah 33:7-16   The Epistle. Philippians  4: 4-7       
The Gospel   St. John 1:19-28

 O LORD, raise up, we pray thee, thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be honour and glory, world without end.  Amen.

 ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.

                                          And He shall reign forever and ever

 Today we observe the fourth Sunday in Advent. In the scripture readings from Jeremiah we learn about two separate events concerning Jerusalem. The first, when Jerusalem was emptied during the Babylonian captivity and then the second time about the second coming of the Lord Christ, our Savior.  

     The desolation that came to Jerusalem after the Babylonians captured the city; and all the rulers, the wealthy, and the educated of Hebrew society were taken into exile, the city ceased to function. Later, after 70 years, it was mostly restored. But there will come a time when Jerusalem again will be laid bare, either politically or economically or both, then Christ will restore the city for the last time. The New Heavens and New Earth are described in the book of Revelation as well as several times in the both the Old and New Testament. 

      It is during the Fourth Sunday in Advent we can contemplate Christ’s Second Coming. This is a promised event, yet to come, that will restore the earth to what it was before the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden. The way everything was supposed to be, as God created; perfect.

      Now to get another perspective to how we should live all year, but especially during Advent, let’s look at the passage from Philippians: ⁴Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. ⁵Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. ⁶Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. ⁷And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

     The passage in Philippians is an admonition to us for the present:  

     1. Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your  requests be made known unto God.  

     2. And now the promise of the joy that escapes us many times... “the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”.   

       Most especially at this time of the year we seek a little peace. There are so many things going on and things that need to be done and things that don’t work and things that don’t work out...we sometimes get so wrapped up in Christmas time that we forget the Peace that the baby Jesus will eventually spread around the world came at this time. Peace and quiet, peace and rest, peace and tranquillity....oh blessed peace.

        Now let us look at the final reading for this the Fourth Sunday in Advent. The Gospel of John records the prophecy fulfilled through John the Baptizer, John who lived out in the wilderness, wearing coarse clothing, eating off the land, John who was short of response and yet spoke volumes with the Truth.  

      When the religious folk were sent out by the more religious folk in Jerusalem to question John, he did not mince any words. They asked if he was the Christ, the coming One who would redeem his people. Who are you? They wanted to know if he was Elijah, no he replied. Was he the Prophet? The one who would come before the Messiah? John finally answers them by using Scripture, he quotes the passage from Isaiah 40:3: ³The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. When pressed further about his baptism, John again refers to a physical sign, an outward sign of something that happens inwardly.  ³⁰This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

        Now as we take these three passages into account, let us remember that Christ was prophesied to come as a baby, to come as a king, to come as a savior, to come as the high and mighty ruler of the world, the world he created. It is at this time of the year that we should remember God’s greatest gift, His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, came in great humility, born unto us as Immanuel , {God with us} and he would take away the sins of the world. As we remember these great mysteries let us take that Light to the fallen world, knowing that one day it will be restored, let us share that promise to others. They must come to Christ and know him as their One and only Savior, only He can take away their sins, only He can save them.

Hallelujah the King of kings has come !

 Let us pray:  

  Lord as we approach the commemoration of your first coming, the Nativity or birthday of Christ, let us be aware of those who would have us to remove Christ from every day life, to remove the saving knowledge from our society. Help us to be always vigilant of those who wish God out of existence, give us the words and deeds to show them that there is a better way, the way of the Lord, he and he alone can bring them peace and saving grace. Lord make us an instrument of your Word today. Now bring us to this new week, restored, renewed and ready to show the world that we do have the truth and that we want to share that truth with others. Amen

  O ALMIGHTY God, TURN thou us, O good Lord, and so shall we be turned. Be favorable, O Lord. Be favorable to thy people, Who turn to thee in weeping, fasting, and praying. For thou art a merciful God, Full of compassion, Long-suffering, and of great pity. Thou sparest when we deserve punishment, And in thy wrath thinkest upon mercy. Spare thy people, good Lord, spare them, And let not thine heritage be brought to confusion. Hear us, O Lord, for thy mercy is great, And after the multitude of thy mercies look upon us; Through the merits and mediation of thy blessed Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 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 Fourth Sunday in Advent

 

Sermon:  Luke 2:1-20

“Why Bethlehem?”

 The story of the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior is the greatest story ever told.  You will find two accounts of His birth, the Gospel text this morning Luke 2;1-20 and St. Matthew 01:18-02:23.

We celebrate Jesus’s birthday on December 25.  But no one knows what day Jesus was born, or even what year. It is not stated in the Bible, but it is estimated that Jesus was born between 6 and 4 B.C., due to the biblical story of King Herod the Great’s reign, which coincides with the birth of Christ.

As for the actual month and day of Jesus’s birth, there’s no general consensus.  The most commonly believed theory estimates Christ’s birth to have been in the spring, based on the Bible’s mention of shepherds tending their sheep, which would have only happened during the springtime.  The tradition of celebrating Christmas in December came several centuries after Jesus’s death, right after Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in 312 A.D.  The first recorded celebration of Christian Christmas on December 25 was in 336 A.D., under Constantine’s rule. 

It is very sad that most people, especially children, know more about Santa Claus than Jesus.   So where did this commercial figure come from?  Yes, there was a real Santa Claus.  He was inspired by a real Monk, named Nicholas, who was born sometime around 280 A.D. near modern-day Turkey, according to History.com.  He was known for generously giving away his inherited wealth and helping the poor and sick.

The name Santa Claus evolved from Nick’s Dutch nickname, Sinter Klaas, a shortened form of Sint Nikolaas, according to History.com.

Today’s Gospel text is about the night when God’s promise to send his Redeemer into the world was fulfilled.  Jesus’s birth brought a bright light and hope to a very dark Israel that was fully occupied by the Roman Government at that time.  As we look in on the events of that special night over 2,000 years ago, we can learn something about how God provided His only begotten son to die for our sins.

Five or six miles southwest of Jerusalem lay the tiny town of Bethlehem in the Judean hills.   It was there that man’s eyes first saw God in the flesh.   Why this place and not another of so many possibilities.  Of course it was the birth home of King David, Joseph and Mary’s ancestors.  But it was more. It was here in young David’s hometown that the Prophet Samuel anointed him to be king over all of Israel (1 Samuel 16:1-13).

Also, even earlier in biblical history, the first mention of Bethlehem of Ephrathah is in the first book of the bible, as the burial site of Jacob’s favored wife, Rachel. “And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.” (Genesis 35:19). Keep in mind that there are two Bethlehems’ mentioned in the bible. The second one is Bethlehem of Galilee which is only about 6 miles north of Nazareth.  It was a very small town known for farming. This town was also known as Bethlehem of Zebulun (Joshua 19:15) and was the burial site of Ibzan (Judges 12:10). The tenth Judge of ancient Israel. 

Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea, located about 6 miles south of Jerusalem, also referred to in bible as Ephrath and Ephratah.

Jesus was not born in a house of royalty, nor a house of riches, nor a house of celebrity.

He was born in a manger, a feeding trough used to feed animals most likely in some type of stable or open cave.   There were many caves in Bethlehem of Judah…some were even used for burial purposes. 

We are told the Inn was full when Joseph and Mary arrived there to register for a census declared by Caesar Augustus, emperor of Rome. Mary was almost nine months pregnant with Jesus so they had to quickly find a place of shelter to prepare Jesus’s birth.

When Micah, the Old Testament prophet, foretold the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem some 700 years before his birth, he emphasized its lack of significance to the world.  Here is what He says in Micah 5:2:  “But thou, Bethlehem, Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel:  whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting.”

Bread is one of life’s most common food items.   God wanted his Son available to all.   So it was appropriate that Jesus was born in Bethlehem because He is the “Bread of Life. “And Jesus said unto them, I am the Bread of Life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”  (John 6:35) The word “Bethlehem”  literally means “House of Bread”. 

So it is not irrelevant that the birth of Jesus was associated with such a name.  Bread is a good comparison to our Lord because He satisfies, gratifies and strengthens us spiritually just as bread does physically. Many are eating at the wrong table.  The prophet Isaiah tells us in 55:2: “Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread?  And your labor for that which satisfieth not?  Hearken diligently unto me, and eat that which is good, and let your Soul delight itself in fatness.”  

St. Paul says the ‘we are all partakers of that one bread.” (1 Cor. 10:17). That “one bread” is Jesus Christ. He is the only bread that offers life and the decision to receive Him is an individual one.  The question is not “have you become a church member?” or “have you given to charities.” The real question is, “have you made a personal faith commitment to Jesus Christ?  Jesus told his disciple, Thomas, in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Jesus message to the 7 churches and us in Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock:  if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him and he with me.”

While on earth, Jesus fed multitudes with only a few loaves of bread and a few small pieces of fish. (Matt 14:13, Mark 6:32). He even taught his followers to pray “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matt 6:11).    

His “Bread of life” has been disseminated from Bethlehem to all parts of the world.   It is the only Bread which satisfies the hunger of the soul.  Because all need it, it is the Bread which may be bought “without money and without price” (Isa 55:1)  Here is what Jesus said about bread recorded by St. John in chapter 6 , verse 32 and 33:  “³²Then Jesus said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. ³³For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.” The bread of God mention in this verse is Jesus, the only begotten son of God, the second person of the Trinity. 

Imagine, the Son of God Himself came into this world. He came in to this world as a little Baby. But, He was not born into a lap of luxury. Rather, He was born into the lowest state of poverty. He humbled Himself, and entered into this world as St Paul tells us in Philippians 2:7 in the “form of a servant,” 

His humble birth signified the kind of life Jesus would live all the time He was here on this earth. At one point in His ministry, He had no place to call home, (Mattherw 8:20).  When He died, others provided the place and the things necessary for His burial, (John 19:38-42).

The Son of God who could have had anything, but chose to live a life of poverty.  Why?  There is just one answer: because He loves us!  Let us listen to What St. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 8:9, “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”  (not rich in monetary terms but in terms of rich in the love and favor of God, rich in His blessings and promises, rich in the hopes of eternal life, and being heirs of God’s kingdom.-MH)   He did it so that He also might understand our burdens, (Heb. 4:15-16).  He did it so that He might enter into our suffering, die in our place and lift us out of our sinful world when we call on Him by faith!  

We should be glad that Jesus was born in a stable and not a palace. We should be glad that He was born into humble surroundings and not into great wealth. Why?  If He had been born in a palace, the shepherds we will talk about in a moment would not have access to Him!

But, because He was born in poverty and in humble surroundings, He is more approachable to the common man.  You and I would feel uncomfortable approaching a Savior reared in the lap of luxury; but we have less trouble coming to a Lord Who has endured some of the same hardships we have in life. 

In verse eight, we are told there were shepherds close by keeping watch over their sheep by night.  As those shepherds go about the business of another boring night with their flocks, something astonishing takes place. Suddenly, the angel of the Lord appears above those shepherds.  No doubt the angel is blazing with the brightness of Heaven itself and like a flash, he lights up the night sky.  We are told the shepherds are instantly, sorely afraid of their heavenly visitor. The angel does not leave them in fear for long.  He begins to speak, and says “…Fear Not: for, behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2: 10-11)   This was the message from Heaven that earth had been waiting to hear for four thousand  years.  

He tells them that a Savior has been born. He tells them that the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One, for Whom the world has waited since God  made his promise (Genesis 3:15), has arrived.  He tells them that the Lord has been born in Bethlehem!  He also tells them where to find the child and how to recognize Him when they arrived where He was.

What an announcement! The wait is over! Salvation will be accomplished, just as God had promised it would! And the announcement was made not to priests or rulers but to those lowly shepherds going about the ordinary business of life! Their work was dirty and hard. It required the men to be away from home for long periods of time as they searched for places to graze their flocks. Shepherds were often considered ceremonially unclean because of the duties their occupation required of them. As result, these men were considered the lowest of the low.

Yet, it was these men that heard the glad tidings first. What a blessing! Men may not care about you.   People may look down on you in disgust because of who you are or because of what you have done in life. But, there is a God in Heaven Who loves you and is  willing to forgive you in spite of everything. 

God has a way of elevating ordinary working men to do extraordinary things. God called Moses who was keeping sheep to lead the Jewish people out of Egyptian bondage. He called David, a shepherd to become King of Israel. God has a purpose for all of us regardless of our status in life. He looks at the heart of men and not their incomes or position in life. 

You will notice that the angel made the message personal to the shepherds, “unto you is born, in verse eleven. Thank God the message is a personal one! It was given to those shepherds, but it was made available to all..

As soon as this angel finishes delivering Heaven’s message to the shepherds, he is joined by a great multitude of angels who sing praises to God and declare the truth that the message is indeed for all men! 

After the Shepherds hear the news of the Savior’s birth, they immediately leave their sheep on the hillsides and run into the town of Bethlehem to find the Lord Jesus. When they arrive, they find everything to be just as the angel had said. What a picture of grace! Regardless of a person’s past or position in life there is still hope in Jesus for them. The Lord turns none away, but invites all who will come to meet Him and be saved by the grace of God!  Jesus tells us in John 6:37: “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” As soon as the shepherds realize the magnitude of the things they have experienced, they begin to share the news with all they meet. They tell everyone about the Baby in the manger who is Christ the Lord. 

We are told those that heard the news from the Shepherds, wondered at the things that were told them.  One of the blessings of the Gospel is that it is too good to keep quiet about.  As soon as you experience its power, you want others to experience it also. In fact, those who know the good news of salvation through Jesus are under divine obligation to share that good news with everyone they meet as they pass through life, (Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8.)  just as Jesus instructed his disciples to do before his departure from this earth!

After the shepherds hear the message and meet the Newborn Jesus, they return to their flocks rejoicing as they go. Their voices are also lifted up to God in Heaven to praise Him for His glorious gift. When they first heard the message, no doubt those shepherds were amazed and maybe a little skeptical as well.  But, when they found Jesus, just as the angels said they would; when they met Him for themselves, they could praise Him from a heart that has been convinced of the truth! It must have been something to watch a group of shepherds leave that town rejoicing and praising the name of the Lord. Now, they are new men and they are excited about it! They can’t keep their praises in and they return to their flocks while their shouts fill the night air!  That is what meeting Jesus will do for you! 

In closing, I hope today we have all be reminded about what Christmas is really all about, the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This is the greatest Christmas gift one could ever receive. That God would send his only begotten son Jesus into this world to die for sinners is a blessing beyond description.  That He would love us to that level is amazing beyond the power of words to describe. 

The love of God can be best summed up with those well-known words from Jesus Himself, recorded in John 3:16  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

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.

 Sermon for the Fourth Sunday in Advent

By Rev. Stephen Cooper of Alaska

Click link below:

https://youtu.be/uuyEuaiNLGA

       

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, Mauri Turner, Mike, Jim, Dotty, Jan Jessup, Steve, Josh Morley, Jennifer,
AOC USA, AOC Missions, Zach, Jess, Luke, Jacquie, Harper, Bishop Zephaniah,
Jim Sevier, Linda, Donald Roesch, Jim Kniffen, Colin, Lowery, Robert,

Prayer Needed:

 

Andy Elsenboss – Hip Replacement Surgery today – dec. 23

 Eddie Bowman – car accident – collapsed lung, broken hip, back injuries - hospitalization

 Tate Maag – infant with recently implanted feeding tube

Alicia – Struggling caring for parents at home

 Bishop Zephaniah – Kidney stones

Donna – beginning her chemo for Brain Cancer – recovered from surgery

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

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

 Hurricane Helen Recovery-Please keep praying for all the people and towns affected