250309 AOC Sunday Report

 

Anglican Orthodox Church_sm

Worldwide Communion

First Sunday in Lent
Sunday Report

 

March 9, 2025

 First Sunday in Lent 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 120-121

 

 

The Collect for First Sunday in Lent

O LORD, who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights; Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness, and true holiness, to thy honour and glory, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen

 ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
& This Collect is to be said every day in Lent, after the Collect appointed for the day, until Palm Sunday (pg 124 BcP)

The Epistle for First Sunday in Lent. II Corinthians vi. 1.

WE then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain; (for he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation; giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: but in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watch-ings, in fastings; by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffer-ing, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

The Gospel for First Sunday in Lent.  St. Matthew iv. 1.

THEN was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

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:

Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
Psalm 116:5

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Proverbs 4:20-22

I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them.
Ezekiel 20:19

The LORD’s voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.
Micah 6:9

They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
 St. Mark 2:17

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
I St. Timothy 6:7-10

What can we learn from the life of St. Peter? That one does not need a seminary education to proclaim the gospel. That all who are truly called of the Lord to minister will do so in conformity to our Lord’s commands. That even the most earnest and true of heart can err and should be corrected by his fellows. That being a follower of Jesus Christ does not mean we will always have a smooth journey. That all who are called of God in Christ Jesus must persevere in the faith. That discipleship in Christ has as its end that perfect rest in our Lord’s company. That true service to our Lord is perfect freedom.

Satan knows biblical terminology. He is also a master in masquerading under the guise of divine power. Alleged miraculous cures or manifestations often are accomplished by doctrinal errors. Every believer should realize that Satan can use doctrinal errors to his advantage, but he cannot overcome the Christian’s defenses in God’s Holy Word! This is our bulwark against demon incursions.
Dr. Merrill F. Unger – 20^th century American theologian & scholar (Demons in the World Today, pp. 17-18).

People Of God

Happy are those who believe in God,
And those who follow His every word.
Blessed are those who walk in the Good,
And those who fear the Lord.

Those who humble themselves in front of others,
And those who do not envy their sisters and brothers,
For the Lord God is on their side,
And His Holy Spirit will always guide.

Those who do the righteous ways,
God will bless all their days,
As He will protect their health,
And show them the true wealth.

Blessed are those people of the Lord,
And those who do not fear evil’s sword,
Blessed are those people of God,
Who honor and shed His blood.
– written by Alon Calinao Dy

 It is not enough to have read all Scripture, and to have it preached to us - we must UNDERSTAND that Scripture by the educating benefits of the Holy Ghost! “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,” Regardless the number of times I have previously read and studied a passage of Scripture, my eyes are opened more widely with each subsequent reading. The Lord knows that our bottles can hold only so much water of life at one drinking, so He replenishes the bottle from His constant and abundant source so that our joy is multiplied by constant review and study. This does not happen in the study of chemistry or thermodynamics, but is a peculiar property of the Word of God. We may have the mental capacity and tools of knowledge to accomplish a task, but fail in our understanding of how to apply those qualities. So Christ OPENS our understanding of the Words we have read and studied through the agency of the Holy Spirit.                                                                 Bishop Jerry Ogles (Walking with Jesus pp. 49-50)

                                               

Jerry Ogles, Presiding Bishop,
Metropolitian,
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 Articles of Religion Video Series: Article 35

 

 Click link: https://youtu.be/AP10K1-lgQo

     

Names of Jeus Series: The Redeemer

 Click link: https://youtu.be/j1U9zhQsFlI

      

~ Repetition aids Retention ~

  

MY GOD, ACCEPT MY HEART THIS DAY;
a Hymn for Ash Wednesday, 4 February 2025 Anno Domini,

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
(Galatians 2:20)

            This hymn of Lenten solemnity is the authorship of Matthew Bridges (1800-1894) and was first published in 1848. The original tune is St. Peter composed by Alexander R. Reinagle (1799-1877) conceived as a setting for Psalm 118.

MY GOD, ACCEPT MY HEART THIS DAY

1 My God, accept my heart this day,
and make it always thine,
that I from thee no more may stray,
no more from thee decline.

2 Before the cross of him who died,
behold, I prostrate fall;
let every sin be crucified,
and Christ be all in all.

3 Anoint me with thy heavenly grace,
and seal me for thine own;
that I may see thy glorious face,
and worship near thy throne.

 4 Let every thought and work and word
to thee be ever given:
Then life shall be thy service, Lord,
and death the gate of heaven.

1 My God, accept my heart this day, and make it always thine, that I from thee no more may stray, no more from thee decline. One leading truth presented in this hymn and stanza is the imperative that one’s heart to be crucified with Christ – we must die in Christ before we can live in Christ. When Christ first owns our hearts, He does not become a casual visitor, but rather He comes to abide forever in His Temple of our hearts. When Christ owns our heart, it is no longer available for either sale or vacancy to the world and its devil.

2 Before the cross of him who died, behold, I prostrate fall; let every sin be crucified, and Christ be all in all. The cross of Christ is not an ornate object composed of valuable metals to be proudly flaunted, but rather a crude, wooden instrument of torture to be revered as the altar of our once-and-for-all sacrifice. That cross belonged to us as sinners, but Christ bore it in our stead. “The Lord is my strength and song, And ^tis become my salvation.” (Psalms 118:14)

3 Anoint me with thy heavenly grace, and seal me for thine own; that I may see thy glorious face, and worship near thy throne. “He anointest my head with oil” are the words of our Communal Prayer repeated in worship services. As His lambs, He anoints our head with oil when the horns of our salvation have been severed. We are sealed with the Seal of God in our foreheads – the seat of our reason and moral judgment – the mark of the devil is erased so completely that it can never be re-imposed. 

4 Let every thought and work and word to thee be ever given: Then life shall be thy service, Lord, and death the gate of heaven. “Pray always”  sayeth the Lord in Luke 21:36. If we do so, no words or works of impurity will be uttered or acted out in the life of the believer. Our good works will not be our own, but His. Only the evil thoughts and desires of the errant Christian can be claimed as their personal ownership. “²¹ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Luke 6:21) Without offending, may I ask where is your treasure? If in Heaven, then I know already that your heart is there.

The Sermon – First Sunday in Lent

 A NATIONAL BAPTISM,

 “Moreover... all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea. — "

(1 Corinthians 10:1; all scripture KJV)

 The plan of god for His elect has not changed since Eden. Aware of man’s depravity, the Lord has given stark lessons to prove to us that we can, in no wise, earn our own salvation, but are in need of a Redeemer/Savior in Christ. God did not have one plan for the Old Testament saints, and a new, revised version for the New. From the promise made to Eve, confirmed in Abraham, and proclaimed in Job 19:23-27 –

²³ Oh that my words were now written!
Oh that they were printed in a book!
²⁴ That they were graven with an iron pen and lead
In the rock for ever!
²⁵ For I know that my redeemer liveth,
And that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
²⁶ And though after my skin worms destroy this body,
Yet in my flesh shall I see God:
²⁷ Whom I shall see for myself,
And mine eyes shall behold, and not another;
Though my reins be consumed within me.

             The same Redeemer of which Job made reference is the same as that mentioned in the covenant promise stated in Psalms “He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.” (Psalm 111:9) This Redeemer and covenant is the same fulfilled in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son that whosever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  Abraham was saved by faith in the same Redeemer in whom we have placed our trust in these latter days. He was saved by faith in his trust of the coming Redeemer just as we are saved in the sure knowledge of the accomplished fulfillment in Christ, our Redeemer, Savior, and Lord.

            Please consider a little recognized relationship between our Gospel Text today from the Gospel of St Matthew, chapter 4, and the Red Sea crossing recorded in Exodus and further explained in 1 Corinthians 10:1-4, “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; ² And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; ³ And did all eat the same spiritual meat; ⁴ And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. ⁵ But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.^”  There is an amazing symbolical comparison between our Lord’s baptism and time spent in the Wilderness being tempted of the Devil, and the Children of Israel and their Dead Sea and Wilderness experience. It is a point I had not considered until delivering my sermon this morning.

            We are told in the Gospel text that our Lord Jesus Christ was first baptized in the presence of the full Trinity of god – that is, god the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. Afterward, He was driven by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil. Though His temptation was great, He never succumbed to the wiles of the Devil but always answered each temptation with “it is written” – or, the Word of God – a principle that would save us likewise from many dangers of temptation. ¹⁹ And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: ²⁰ And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night. . . .  And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, ²⁵ And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians^[1] Exodus 19-20, 24-25

             Please note a couple of salient points in the text from Exodus:

1.      The entire nation was baptized in the Sea (1 Cor 10:2)

2.      The children of Israel were under the protective Eye of the Lord in the Cloudy Pillar by day and Fire by night – but not only in leading, but also in following to protect there rear echelon. “and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:”

3.      The Lord Himself was in the Pillar: “And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud.” It is a joy to know that god not only leads us, but has a following protection for His people then and now.

4.      After destroying the armies of Pharaoh, the children wandered forty years in the wilderness being face with, and often succumbing to temptations.

 What lesson was the Lord teaching us in the Gospel account from the Gospel of Matthew and that of Exodus? The entire experience was to prove that we are not able to overcome the devil by our own strength and can, in no wise, EARN our salvation. Just as the Children of Israel failed in so many ways in the Wilderness to keep God’s Laws and Commandments, so can we not keep them today without a Redeemer and His imputed righteousness. Though we failed in the Wilderness, for forty years after baptism in the Sea, Christ prevailed against Satan in the Wilderness for forty days after baptism. He thereby proved His calling as Redeemer, Savior, Lord, and King.

God fed us with that temporary bread from Heaven (Manna) in the Wilderness, but in our present wilderness of worldly passions and wickedness, He feeds us with the Living Bread that came down from Heaven – Himself!

The notion that God changes in periods of dispensation is false. His plan is constant and unchanging, though we may be blessed with dispensations of greater understanding and revelation of His Word.

There is so much more to these truths than that which can be related by my frail penmanship and sermon, but the full answers are available in the Golden Book of Heaven – the Holy Bible.

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

 In Christ Alone during Lent,

 † Jerry Ogles

Presiding Bishop.  

Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide & Chancellor, Faith Theological Seminary

Charles Morley
Bishop of Alabama
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

 We are always happy to get the Sermon that Bp. Morley is giving to us. We hope you enjoy the following:

 Top Ten Reasons to Use the King James Version of Scripture

Conservative Protestants will often cling to the King James or Authorized Version of the Bible but often may not be able to give a reason that they do. It is important that all Christians be able to give a reason for what they believe and how they worship. Here are but a few reasons why adherence to the KJV is important for all who wish to know the Word of God.

1. FAMILIARITY. - there is something to be said about Bible memorization and retention. The KJV has been around longer and has been used by more Christians than any other "translation" It has been shown to be easier of memorize than any modern version, even those which claim to be in "contemporary" English.

2. FAITHFULNESS - the 300 scholars who translated from the Greek and Hebrew were the greatest Bible scholars in all history. Before computers or even typewriters, their scholarly efforts have never been duplicated. You can read of their historic accomplishments in "God's Secretaries" by

3. ANTIQUITY - the KJV is over four hundred years old. It has become an essential in English literature, held by scholars of the language as "the pearl of the English language." More has been written ABOUT the KJV than any other Christian work. It is frequently quoted in the great works of English literature.

4. ACCURACY - the translators had the highest regard for the original Greek and Hebrew and did not allow dynamic equivalence or ease of translation to influence their work, even when it would seem proper to do so. (Viz. Job 36:33) Many modern versions take great liberties with the original languages for ease of understanding or smoothness.

5. ELEGANCE - the KJV has never been equaled for the high quality and cadence of the vocabulary, syntax, and grammar used throughout the sixty-six books. Even though written by different authors in different ages, the KJV has a consistency of expression in English that has never been duplicated

6. SECTARIANISM - many modern versions (and specific editions of those versions) are produced and promoted by publishers associated with a certain denomination or school of theology. Some denominations even insist in the sole use of a certain translation or version (e.g. the Schofield Bible, the New World Bible, the NASB etc.) to support their distinct theology. Until 1901, the KJV Bible was the sole version used by ALL English speaking Protestant Christians - and was even recommended by Lutheran and Eastern Orthodox Churches as the best version in English.

7. COMPLETENESS - many modern versions omit portions of the New Testament and call into question the originality, authorship, and accuracy of many verses. They accomplish this by means of notes and "study aids" which can vary greatly from one edition to another. The translators of the KJV believed in the absolute authority and integrity of the manuscripts they used and also believed in the divine inspiration of the entire Bible. Many modern translators and publishers do not. You get the whole Bible with the KJV.

8. SECURITY - the KJV is not copyrighted. As God is it's author, it cannot be. Many modern "translations" are not scholarly translations of the original manuscripts but are PARAPHRASES whose authors receive royalties for every book sold and are subject to mass marketing schemes designed to convince the public that their "new" Bible is superior to the "old" KJV. Bible publishing has become big business.

9. SCHOLARSHIP - many modern versions were not produced by "editors" fluent in ancient Greek and Hebrew, or even in the textual criticism of other literature of antiquity. Many have been appointed to translation committees because of their prominence in the Christian community. They may have academic credentials but are sectarian in their scholarly methodology. One prominent translators was actually a Buddhist, another a professed ATHEIST. The KJV translators were all godly men of note, chosen because of their devotion to the orthodox Christian faith as well as their erudition.

10. FACILITY - no other translation is as suited to Bible study for the laity. Most older Christians will have been exposed only to the KJV - newer versions will sound unfamiliar. There are more quality "Study Bibles" available in the KJV, as well as Sunday School materials and classic Christian literature. "Pilgrim's Progress" is still the most widely read work of any Christian author. Much may be said of scholarship but availability and readablity are essential qualities for the modern Christian as well. The KJV is the finest version for use in public worship and many denominations will use it for their liturgies and public prayers. It is a "lingua franca" for the  contemporary Church, divided though she may be.

We use the KJV not because we "like it" above others, or because it's comfortable like an old sweater, but because it is unquestionably THE WORD OF GOD.

+CEM

 

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 First Sunday in Lent

 2 Corinthians 6:1-10; Matthew 4:1-11

THE TRIALS - Jesus' Temptation in the Desert

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

A proverb says: "Anything that doesn't kill me makes me stronger". The trials we undergo make us stronger; they strengthen our faith. But sometimes our faith can be wavering: we doubt for a moment - this is natural - but some renounce faith and salvation. It is then said that they abandon the faith of the Church, but in reality, they did not have the true faith, the one that saves and allows us to overcome trials. They believe what they believe, or believe that they believe, but in reality, their faith is superficial and does not last long: it fades and disappears little by little over time, or suddenly under the effect of an emotional shock. There is no reason to blame them for this. The Lord is sovereign in matters of faith, and He knows to whom He gives His grace and mercy.

The Christian faith can be imitated for a while, but not forever. Then come the trials that God allows, and the temptations that the demons send us in the hope of making us renounce Salvation, God our Father, His Son (he declares himself "Son of Man") and His Holy Spirit, which dwells and remain in us if we have true faith.

One of the most common temptations is based on good works: The devil tells us that we can never do enough, and that our efforts are in vain because we are sinners, unworthy of Paradise. Adam and Eve were indeed cast out of the Garden of Eden as a result of a single disobedience to God, and we have all disobeyed Him, at least once. The truth is that we are unable to obey God. We are unable to obey anyone except the devil. Give me the name of a single person who would have always respected the Highway Code, without ever being distracted, without ever speeding, or having crossed over a white line?... Your silence confirms me in this analysis.

The Christian life is not a highway to Heaven, free of city and village crossings, dangerous crossroads, level crossings and other obstacles. It is a narrow and stony path, in which we walk. And if Christ has won salvation for us by His sacrifice on the cross, we are not entirely free from Him. He left us a testament, the New Testament containing the Gospel of grace given to God's elect. Let me give you two examples: Did Mary ask to be the mother of Jesus? Rather, it was God who chose her and sent her his Announcing Angel. Did Paul decide to invite Christ to come and dwell in his heart? Rather, it was Christ who threw him off his horse and forcibly converted him.

In these two examples, a Word of God is addressed to men: To Mary, Gabriel expresses a message from the Father (Luke 1:30-32): “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 to Paul, a Word is addressed by the ministry of Ananias (Acts 9:3-6…17): “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 … And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.”

Even Christ—who was withdrawn to the wilderness for 40 days after his baptism in the Jordan river—does not repel Satan by means of intellectual arguments or human strength. He rejects Satan, the Chief Liar, by opposing the Truth to him, that is, by systematically quoting the Word of God. First of all, it should be noted that our Lord had just being fasting for forty days and forty nights - one cannot imagine him celebrating Ramadan by popping every night. His human forces are therefore reduced to almost nothing. He is hungry, he no longer has the strength to argue with the devil, and he gathers what remains of his human strength to answer Satan, contenting himself with quoting the Bible (Mathew 4:4): “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”; (v.4:7) “Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”; and (vv. 4:10-11): “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” Jesus has no trouble remembering the Bible, for He is the Word of God made flesh. He is also "the Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14:6). Therefore, the Holy Bible is also "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" for us who believe.

And it is through this Word of God that Christ not only repels Satan, but becomes immune to the attacks of the enemy of all mankind (John 14:30b): “the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.” In other words, if we are filled with a good knowledge of the Bible, we not only know how to repel Satan, but we are also immune to his attacks and lies. All we need to do is nourish ourselves with the Word of God - the Bread of God that came down from heaven (John 6:32-33…38a): " Then 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. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. ... For I came down from heaven...”

Let us read one or more passages of the Bible, every day that God makes. The Book of Common Prayer includes a table of biblical readings for each day of the year, which correspond to the times of the liturgical year. Know how to enjoy it, as I myself do, every morning when I get up, and every evening when I go to bed. This spiritual nourishment sustains the life of the Spirit in us. It is as essential as body food or fuel in a combustion car, or even the batteries in an electric car. Without them, we don't get far.

Now, let's move on to the practical aspect. No man was so harshly tempted as Job. He first lost all his children and all his possessions (Job 1:20-21): “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” Then Satan took away his health (Job 2:7-8): “So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.” But Job refuses to speak ill of God, unlike his wife and friends, as do all those who see God as the author of the wickedness of men, and make Christians the only ones responsible for violence and wars. This is to provoke God unjustly and to anger Him (Job 42:7): “And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.” On the other hand, Job puts things in perspective, and recognizes that God is Good and the only source of all good, refusing to attribute to Him the evil that is done under the sun (Job 1:22): “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.”

In 2 Corinthians 6, Paul imitates Job: He lists all the misfortunes and setbacks that have befallen him in his ministry of preaching the Word of God. He sees them as so many trials intended to enhance his faith, because it remains constant, just as he himself remains "always joyful ", in all circumstances, good or bad. And how does Paul resist these trials? (2 Corinthians 6:7): “By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left”

And Paul is not content to teach the Word of God, as if it were purely academic knowledge. He applies it to himself; he lives his faith: “Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience…” (vv. 3-4a). A patience worthy of Job, Israël’s distant ancestor, and of Jesus Christ our Lord, recalling in the previous chapter of the same epistle “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”  (2 Corinthians 5:15); and Paul adds in verse 18: “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation”

And Paul doesn't just quote God's Word, he explains it – and that's the role of every Sermon worth its salt portion: we are reconciled to God through the work of Jesus Christ and no one else (vv. 19-21): “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Christ took our sin upon Himself and caused it to die with Him on the cross, so that we may be declared sinless before God. Thus, we who believe have become “the righteousness of God in him” This expression has a double meaning: Not only are we justified and declared holy before God, but our justification comes to us “of God” and not from us. And if we are justified, it is “in him” in Christ our righteousness, the only intermediary between God and us; and Christ is our propitiation, that is, the sacrificial victim offered in compensation to God, to redeem us from our sin and our evil works which are inspired by devils.

And it is the demons who inspire the idol makers and their priests who worship them. Paul therefore insists that the Christians of Corinth - and we too - have no contact with idols, which are unclean by nature (2 Corinthians 6:14-17): “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” And what are the modern idols? Money, sex, and the power they give. Our Lord Jesus Christ gives us a remedy in His Word: humility and love of God and our fellow Christian brothers (1 Corinthians 13:4-7): “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” as Paul suffered and endured all things, as did Job and God himself, in Jesus Christ when He was crucified.

This is why Paul concludes this chapter 6 of his Second Epistle to the Corinthians by describing his relationship with his hearers - those who hear his preaching and put it into practice - according to the model of the father-son relationship, which is a divine model, as practiced within the Trinity (2 Corinthians 6:18): “And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, let us remember that we are spiritual sons and daughters of Paul who taught us, and the adopted children of the Father, in Jesus Christ, our Lord, present in our hearts. And that our behavior is up to the task. Amen.

Rt. Rev. Yves Méra, AOC Bishop of France

 

 

 

Bishop Jack Arnold
Anglican Orthodox Church of the United States
Training and Education Department
Diocese of the West
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 the common message of action as we enter into the time of Lent, which is a season of preparation.  Let us start by reading today’s Collect:

The First Sunday in Lent.

The Collect.

O

 LORD who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights; Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness, and true holiness, to thy honour and glory, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

Consider these words from the Collect:

… Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness, and true holiness, to thy honour and glory …

 In the Collect, we ask God to help us change our natural evil tendencies so we can live life here His way and honor His wishes so we can be truly happy. This is what is part of the driving force behind the season of Lent, us reflecting on how we can better follow God and allow him to change our natural evil tendencies into good tendencies so that we can serve Him better. We also focus on denying our evil tendencies the satisfaction of giving into them, but resisting and doing our best to implement the good tendencies that God wishes us to use in our day to day lives.

In essence, we are asking him to help us fight our human nature and follow His divine nature, we are attempting to replace our nature with that of God’s. It is a long and difficult road we must travel, doing this, but we are going to be much happier in the long run if we at least do our best. Do or do not, there is no try, Yoda is quoted as saying, and I find it applicable here and in my own life. We have to act, not just say we are going to act, but we must physically perform ACTIONS!

Want and Need; two words, used interchangeably in both our speech and thought that do not mean the same thing.  Think about that!

Following the thought of the Collect, Paul asks us to be worthy of the grace God has given us.  He tells the people when they needed him, He was there.  Following his example, we need to be there for those around us.  We must not frustrate God’s work by showing up late, or not at all. It all goes back to Jesus’ saying, No man can serve two masters. We have to choose who we are going to serve God or Satan/Mammon and then once we have chosen to serve God, we need to do our best to be there for Him and His People. Action and not just dictions alone are needed to serve God.

Our actions will reflect whom we truly serve, God or the Forces of Satan. Which side will you serve? You in the end have to choose one side or another. Pick the winning side now, which is the Forces of God, and you will have a rich everlasting life. Where our treasure is, our heart will be there also to quote Jesus. So let us make sure our treasure is heaven and not on earth where moth and rust corrupt and thieves break through and steal. Things on earth are easily corruptible and stolen, but the eternal life that we get from following God and Jesus is something that no man can ever steal or take away from us and never corrupts. Let us place our hope In God and Jesus and the Holy Ghost who are actually perfect and will never steer us wrong. To me that is a lot better side to take than satan and the forces of evil. It is very clear to us which side we should serve and it is not the forces of satan and mammon.

When the devil attempted to tempt Christ, he showed how little he knows of Him.  It also shows how arrogant the devil truly us to even attempt this. He was very foolish to think that his attempts to tempt Our Lord would work! If we emulate our Lord, it shows how little the devil will be able to tempt us with his deceit. Jesus provides us with the perfect template to resist satan and his wiles. Do not even entertain them for a fraction of a second, and just tell satan to Get Thee Hence!  If we follow Him we will be able to withstand any temptation that arises as our Lord showed for us in the desert 2,000 years ago.

Consider how little the devil really offers you and how much Christ offers, the temptation is ever so much less.  The devil is often referred to as the deceiver or dissimulator.  His forte is deception; he seems to be one thing, but is another.  He offers what he has no intention or ability to deliver. He actually has zero ability to deliver on his large promises, he has no right to give away what is not his! 

The devil clearly knows Jesus is the Son of God.  There is no doubt in his mind.  So, having understood that, consider what he offers Jesus in temptation. 

Remember, Jesus has fasted 40 days OF HIS OWN CHOICE; now comes the devil daring Him to show His Power by turning the stone into bread.  This to the Son of He who delivered manna daily to the Jews in the wilderness for 40 years. 

Cast thyself down and let angels catch thee; this to He who walked on water.

Up to the mountain lookout – Here is it all yours if you worship me.  This to He, who as it says in Psalm 95:

In his hand are all the corners of the earth; * and the strength of the hills is his also.

The sea is his, and he made it; * and his hands prepared the dry land.

O come, let us worship and fall down, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For he is the Lord our God; * and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

The devil promised Jesus nothing that was his to give, nothing that would help Jesus in the real world beyond the Shadowlands.  He never does. Jesus knew this and we would be wise to remember this. Unfortunately, people that do not have the Holy Spirit within them do not see thus and sadly allow themselves to be deceived by the devil. We have an advantage in that we have the Holy Ghost and if we listen to Him we cannot be deceived by the devil.

We have to realize that the devil is all about shortcuts.  Remember, if the shortcut was the best way, it would not be a shortcut. We need to remember that what the devil offers may offer us short term success, but that in the end it will only give us eternal misery. If we consider that the next time the devil attempts to tempt us, then the temptation will be ever so much less.

The temptation of Jesus is no different than the devil’s attempt to tempt us!  The devil never delivers what we need, only what we, in our imperfection, want. This is where knowing the difference between what is a want and a need for us will assist. If we recognize that his temptations are preying on our desire for our wants, we can shut down the temptation by focusing on what we need. He can’t understand what we really need, he only knows what we want. This is an advantage we have over him. We understand what we truly need; if we remember it, then holding off against the temptations is easier. Remember as little as the devil understands of Christ, the same way, as we are in God, so he understands little of us.  He will never offer you real help.  Remember that and the temptation is ever so much less.

Or, as my grandfather said, “Keep your eye on the donut, not on the hole”

There is but one way to heaven. That easy to find, easy to follow, easy to hike path does not lead to the summit where eternal life in the real world awaits.  Open your heart to the Holy Ghost, use His Power to follow our Lord to God who awaits in heaven.

 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

 

  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.

 

                  First Sunday in Lent 

In the apostle Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians (6:10-20), he spoke of our daily warfare with the world, the flesh and the devil and describes the weapons and armour we need to take up if we are to experience any success against our “ancient foe.” And warfare of any kind requires us to know our enemy and for Christians that is doubly important. In our gospel lesson for today (St. Matthew 4:1-11) we were presented the story of our Lord in the wilderness soon after his baptism. For it was there that he was tempted of the devil to give in to the pulls and draws of the flesh and thus to sin. Our Lord did no such thing, but rather rebuked the devil who, afterwards, left him. Sadly, too many folks today are quick to distance themselves from a belief in a being who is the embodiment of personal and spiritual evil. But holding such a view only imperils them all the more because the devil goes about in an almost relentless fashion, weaving his plans within plans, and hoping at every turn to compromise the faith of anyone who is weak in the Spirit and lukewarm in their beliefs.

As the Rev. E. M. Bounds once observed: “The Devil goes out into the wilderness and finds us in a fainting, discouraged condition, with our faith weak, the sky cloudy, and our vision obscured. Then he shows us the world from the loftiest peak of observation, clothed in its most enchanting wonders. He never gets tired of trying to ruin us until the coffin lid is sealed and our happy spirits are bathing in the land where the wicked cease from troubling; and ... the weary be at rest (Job 3:17). Satan has the wisdom of an archangel and the experience of half an eternity as captain of all the hosts of hell. He is an expert in the acts and arts of deception and trickery. He has almost inexhaustible resources at his command to serve his purposes. Other than God himself, a wiser and more powerful spirit than satan does not live. A more malicious power than he could not exist. There is no greater worker than he. His endless energy and tireless perseverance are the only things in him worthy of imitation. These are the things that make him so powerful and so dreadful.”

The Bible has several descriptions of the devil and his various activities. So then let us examine a few of them for our edification. In Genesis 3:1-5, we are informed that he was the bringer of doubt who deceived Eve into partaking of the forbidden fruit. In Job 1:7 and 2:2, we are told that the devil is free to move about on the earth and can ascend to heaven, even to the presence of God. Additionally, he is the accuser of mankind and can afflict humanity with all sorts of ailments and even death. The prophet Isaiah (14:12-14) identified Lucifer as “the son of the morning” who was cast down for his arrogance and pride. This set the stage for his campaign of mischief and mayhem in our world and was the impetus behind his work in the Garden of Eden as noted in Genesis 3. Ezekiel mentioned his title of "the cherub that covereth" which described his once trusted position in the court of God (28:11-19) as a high official among God’s angels, who, on account of his pride, was removed from his position and cast out from heaven. In St. Matthew 12:24-30 we are informed that he has a kingdom and that he will use every means at his disposal to keep it. In St. John 8:44 we are told that Satan was a murderer from the beginning and the father of lies.

In II Corinthians 4:4, the apostle Paul referred to the devil as the god of this world. Notice the letter “g” is not capitalized in that passage. While we must accept the fact that he has a kingdom; nevertheless we don’t have to acquiesce in it by following along as dutiful slaves in his service. Our Lord expects us to stand against evil at every moment. And further on in that same epistle (11:14) the apostle informed his listeners that Satan has the capacity to appear as an angel of light in order to deceive the unwary. The devil’s chief weapon is deception. If we buy into his schemes, then we are in danger of being consumed by them. We must resist his offerings and temptations. And— much to the chagrin of those who are lukewarm in the faith— said resistance does not include cooperation with his evil plans nor does it sanction tolerance of bad behavior. If we are to remain faithful to God in Christ then we must resist satan’s offers of compromise and collegiality. Remember your Amos (3:3): Can two walk together, except they be agreed? The apostle further noted in his epistle to the Ephesians (6:12) that satan and his minions are the real power behind our earthly foes. Thus, wicked mortals are merely the physical representatives of our adversary who are being used in the worst sense of that expression. Loathe their behavior, by all means; but remember who is the motivational force behind them.

Both the apostles James and Peter warned us with whom we are wrestling and what sort of action we are expected to take. The former instructed us to resist the devil and he will flee from us (4:7) while the latter noted in his first epistle (5:8-9) that satan prowls about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour and that we are to resist him by being vigilant. And as part of our duty to resist evil, St. Jude (v. 3) directed that we should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. Needless to say, we cannot do so unless we are aware of our adversary’s abilities. And if we won’t stand up for the faith in this life, then we will have no chance of obtaining what has been offered to us in Christ Jesus for the next. Ours is a fighting faith. In the older versions of the Book of Common Prayer, the minister would call the faithful to pray for the well-being of Christ’s earthly body with the following: “Let us pray for the whole state of Christ’s Church Militant.” St. Paul called on Timothy to, therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ (II St. Timothy 2:3). We should do no less.

In Revelation 12:9 we are told that the devil is also known as the dragon, Satan and the serpent of old. And in Revelation 20:10, the apostle John prophesied that Satan and his minions will be consigned to the "lake of fire” at the end of world. Here is the joy of knowing what will happen. We do not know when, only that it will take place because our Lord Jesus Christ will come again and carry through with his word. Nevertheless, if we know not our enemy or fail to understand his purposes and plans with regard to our world, then we will be undone. We have been encouraged to fight the good fight. Let us then go forward in the love of Christ, and with an ever watchful eye on our adversary, let us proclaim the truth of the gospel to others. And so until our Lord returns, “Prepare for Battle!” for Deus Vult — God wills it.

Let us pray,

LORD, as we prepare our hearts during this Lenten Season, help us to keep ever before us and within us the truth of Christ; and let us not be given to any intemperance or excess, but rather let us be given to prayer and supplication; for these things we ask in the name of our Lord and Saviour 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 First Sunday in Lent

 

Psalm 15, 92; First lesson: Jeremiah 17:5-14; Second lesson: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

 ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

                                    “...The heart is deceitful above all things...”

 Here we are at the beginning of Lent.  A season of intense reflective prayer and meditation. This is not a time of great deprivation.  The very idea of avoiding or stepping away from a behavior or favorite item, whether it be food or pleasure, runs in the face of what we are to do daily. 

 We are to “crucify” self, we are to follow Jesus as closely as we can, daily, not just for a 40 day season once a year.  Why?  

             Well we can get some clues from today’s readings.  For instance; “...The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?...” (Jeremiah 17:9)  When Jeremiah penned this several millennial ago, he was just pointing out the obvious. Given the chance to do good, humans tend to do bad. Given the chance to follow the Lord, humans will run for cover like the proverbial ‘cockroach in the kitchen’.  

            We head for darkness, just like Adam and Eve did in the Garden, once they had disobeyed God. They hid in the bushes, because by eating the fruit of the Tree, they realized that they were naked and no longer innocent.  Their hearts became deceitful that fateful day in the Garden, they were now desperately wicked, because they had not obeyed their Father/Creator.

            And they knew it, so they hid from Him.

⁵Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. ⁶For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. ⁷Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. ⁸For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. ⁹The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? ¹⁰I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. ¹¹As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool. ¹²A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary. ¹³O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters. ¹⁴Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. (Jeremiah 17:5-14) Now, not all is lost. Because we can read in the two psalms for today, what is the correct behavior of those who love the LORD. 

            We are to praise the LORD, we are to give thanks to the LORD, we to give thanks for the great works of the LORD, we are blessed of the LORD. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:

²To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, ³Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound. The reality is we cannot ‘out praise’ the Lord for all that He has blessed us with. ⁴For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands. 5O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep......⁸But thou, LORD, art most high for evermore......¹²The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. ¹³Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.   And then just to remind us again of His blessings, the psalmist gives us these last two verses of both promise and surety. ¹⁴They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;   And to emphasize God’s divinity and his surety of our salvation, we read: ¹⁵To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. (Psalm 92)

            We are to seek the Lord while He may be found. And as we read in Jeremiah, we are not to rely on others for our salvation. That is not referencing helping each other in times of trouble, no, it is referencing salvation. The Lord provides our salvation, He sent His Son, His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Passover Feast. He and only He can save us from our desperately wicked hearts. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? ²He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. ³He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. ⁴In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. ⁵He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved. (Psalm 15)

So as we continue our times of meditation and reflection during this period of Lent, let us always turn our eyes upon Jesus, in him will we find peace. The very words of promise as the psalmist penned them so many years ago, still resonate today, because they are true.  Remember the Word of the Lord does not change, even though post-modern man has tried to reinterpret the Word. Don’t let that trouble you, go back to the Word, it remains true as the day it was penned.

 And as Jeremiah wrote in chapter seventeen:

 “¹³O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters. ¹⁴Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise...  ¹²A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.”

 He warns us of those who forsake the Lord, but more importantly he points out the healing that is given for those who SEEK the Lord.  “Heal me, save me”.   And to cap it off, the glorious high throne of the Lord (having been in place from the beginning) is our place of sanctuary.

 This is our hope as we enter this season of reflection and awe, as we seek to understand the mystery of why our Creator provided us a way of Salvation, His Son, Jesus Christ, this is what we should reflect upon during these forty days before Easter.

 I have a homework assignment, it is contained in our second lesson; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13.

In it, St. Paul lists in detail, the issues that can and will separate us from our Creator. He lists the multiple behaviors and sins that will sicken us and weaken us in our daily journey towards the Kingdom of God.  

Please take time to read this passage and reflect on the meaning that Paul was writing about, he was trying to focus the church at Corinth towards a righteous path, away from their predilections and towards the “glorious high throne from the beginning {which is} the place of our sanctuary”.  Paul does not leave us in a land of hopelessness, he encourages us with the following: “...¹³There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

    Beloved, let us go home today encouraged, armed, and ready to do battle against all that which is contrary to the Word of God. Go and be blessed.

 Let us pray:

 O GOD, whose nature and property is ever to have mercy and to forgive; Receive our humble petitions; and though we be tied and bound with the chain of our sins, yet let the pitifulness of thy great mercy loose us; for the honour of Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

 THE Lord bless us, and keep us. The Lord make his face to shine upon us, and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up his countenance upon us, and give us peace, both now and 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 the today from Rev. Don Fultz from St. Peter’s AOC, Statesville, NC.

Ash Wednesday

St. Matthew, Chapter 6, verses 16-21

We have now come to the Christian Season of Lent, which is a forty-day reflection upon one’s life and their  relation to Jesus Christ.   It is to be observed as a time of fasting, prayer, and Alms giving.  The 40 day period of Lent is associated with the 40 days and nights Jesus spent in the wilderness fasting and the temptations by Satan.  (Matt. 4:1-11)  This number in turn represents several  Old Testament  events including:

·        Moses spending 40 days and nights on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments (Ex. 34:28)

·        The 40 days and nights of rain during the Great Flood (Gen. 7:12)

·        The Israelites 40 years of wandering in the Desert (Numbers 14:33)

In today’s gospel reading, we have two subjects which Jesus spoke about in his great Sermon on the Mount.  The first is about fasting and the second is about worldliness.

The simplest definition of fasting is to abstain from something, normally food for a specific period of time.  It is a practice frequently mentioned in the Bible in connection with prayer. Prayer and fasting normally go hand in hand, but this is not always the case. You can pray without fasting and fast without praying.  However, it is when these two activities are combined and dedicated to God’s glory that they reach their full effectiveness. It is a way to focus and rely on God for strength, provision, and wisdom that we all need. 

So what does the bible tell us about prayer and fasting?  The Old Testament law specifically required prayer and fasting for only one occasion, which was the Day of Atonement.  This was the day the High Priest made an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the people.  This act of atonement brought reconciliation between the Jewish people and God. After the blood sacrifice was offered to the Lord, a goat was released into the wilderness to symbolically carry away the sins of the people. Today, the Jewish people still annually recognize this Day of Atonement and it is the most solemn and important holy day of the Jewish calendar.  It is commonly referred to as Yom Kippur.

There are many occasions of prayer and fasting mentioned in the bible. In the Old Testament, David pleaded with God for the health of his child.  He fasted and went into his house and spent the night lying on the ground. (2^nd Samuel 12:16). Moses fasted when he was on Mount Sinai receiving the Law from God.  Exodus 34:28 tells us “And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither eat bread, nor drink water.”  Prayer and fasting were often done in times of stress or trouble.  David fasted when he learned that Saul and Jonathan had been killed. (2^nd Samuel 1:12). Nehemiah had a time of prayer and fasting upon learning that Jerusalem was still in ruins. (Nehemiah 1:4). Darius, the king of Persia, fasted all night after he was forced to put Daniel in the den of lions. (Daniel 6:18).

Although, we do not find any direct command to fast in the New Testament, there are many instances in which Prayer and fasting occurred. John the Baptist taught his disciples to fast.  (Mark 2:18). Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights before His temptations by Satan.  (Matt 4:2). Paul and Barnabas spent time in prayer and fasting for the appointment of elders in the churches. (Acts14:23). 

Fasting can also be a form of worship.   Luke 2:37 tells us “And she was a widow of about four score and four years (84), which departed not from the temple, but served God with fasting and prayers night and day.”

Although, the word of God does not specifically command Christians to spend time in fasting, it is still something we should consider doing.  However, far too often, the focus on fasting is on abstaining from food.   Instead, the main purpose should be to take our eyes off from the things of this world and focus our thoughts on God.    

Fasting should always be limited to a set time because not eating for an extended period of time can be damaging to one’s body. We should not use fasting as a diet or method of losing weight. Instead, we should use it as a way to gain a deeper fellowship and walk with God.

Fasting isn’t possible for everyone. This is probably why Jesus did not make it a direct command in the New Testament.  Many a poor person never has enough to eat and it would be an insult to tell him to fast. Many a sickly person can hardly be kept well with the closest attention to diet, and could not fast without bringing on illness. It is a matter that in which everyone must be persuaded in his own mind and not rashly condemn others who do not agree with him.

One thing only must never be forgotten as our Lord Jesus tells us in the Gospel reading, those who fast should do it quietly, secretly, and without ostentation.   Let them not “appear to men” to fast. Let them not fast to man but to God. (Matt: 6: 16-18)

Spending time in prayer and fasting is not always automatically effective in accomplishing the desires of those who fast. 

Fasting or no fasting, God only promises to answer our prayers when we ask according to his will.  1 John 5:14-15 tells us, “This is the confidence we have in Him; that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us; And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know we have the petitions that we desired of Him.”  In the Prophet Isaiah’s time, the people grumbled that they had fasted, yet God did not answer in the way they wanted. (Isaiah 58:3-4) Isaiah responded by proclaiming that the external show of fasting and prayer, without the proper heart attitude was futile (Isaiah 58:5-9).

How can we know if we are fasting and praying according to God’s will?  Are you praying and fasting for things that honor and glorify God?  If we ask for something that is not honoring to God or not God’s will for our lives, God will not give what we ask for, whether we fast or not.   So how can we find God’s will?  God promises to give us wisdom when we ask. James 1:5 tells us, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

The other subject that Jesus warned us about in his sermon on the mount is worldliness. This is one of the greatest dangers that beset man’s souls.  It is no wonder that we find our Lord speaking so strongly about it. It seems so harmless to seek our happiness in this world and to pay close attention to our business. This is fine as long as we keep clear of open sins and make God number one in our lives.   However, too often we are so focused on either our Job or business or other activities of this world, we lose focus on God.  God becomes secondary in our life. Yes, we may go to church every Sunday but our minds and hearts are on things of the world rather than on God. Some people spend their entire life laying up treasures on this earth and sadly when they die everything is left behind.  

The worst is not the things left behind on earth but one’s soul could be lost forever if God was not number one in their life and they did not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  Matthew 16, verse 26 warns us about this “So what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

Jesus tells us It is a narrow road to heaven.  When a man asks Jesus the question, are there few that be saved?  Jesus responded by saying: “Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”  (St. Luke 13: 23-24).  

Jesus also warned us about this in his Sermon on the Mount recorded in St. Matthew chapter 7, verses 13 and 14 which he said: “Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat; Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

We must never lose sight of the fact that things of this earth are only temporary but things of heaven are eternal. Heaven will not be like things on this earth. There will be no crimes or environmental concerns.  Just as Jesus tells us in verse 19 and 20: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal.”  “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through or steal.”  

We should always remember this: Where are our hearts? Whom do we love best…. the world or God?  Are we walking on the narrow road to heaven?  Are our main affections on things of this earth or things in heaven?  

If our treasure is based on earthly things, then our hearts will also be earthly. Just as Jesus tells us in verse 21: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

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

 

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 Quinquagesima Sunday

https://youtu.be/ajpAaoEWnVA?si=qw7dBtbInRyxyUbM

 

 Sermon for Ash Wednesday

https://youtu.be/Zby7APi-aKk

 

 

Sermon for the First Sunday in Lent

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAtDlTb-sJA

 

 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.

Prayer Needed:
We humbly seek thy face in the words of our prayers, beseeching thee, O God, to acknowledge our petitions and bring comfort and an end to suffering of the following of our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we thank thee for answered prayer, 

Colin and daughter, Lori Beall – cancer

 Alicia – Struggling caring for parents at home – NEEDS HELP

 Toni- Breast Cancer- Surgery March 12th

 Donna – Breast Cancer- Surgery March 24th

 Leslie – False teachers

 Malou – Cancer

Ruth – Melanoma – surgery March 11

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

 Mauri Turner – Stomach cancer

 For the government and people of South Korea that God will protect them
from the forces of Communism.

 

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

 PAKISTAN – FAITH SEMINARY GRADUATION – MARCH 13

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, Colin, Lowery, Robert, Donna, Eddie, Tate,

 in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

 

*Editors Note: Unless the Bible capitalizes satan’s name, this editor changes the minister’s use of this name, all whom use good grammer,  from Capital to small “s” to not give him the same preeminence that is given to Jesus or God.

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^[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ex 14:24–25). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.