250316 AOC Sunday Report

 

Anglican Orthodox Church_sm

Worldwide Communion

First Sunday in Lent
Sunday Report

 

March 16, 2025

 Second 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 127-128

 

 

The Collect for Second Sunday in Lent

ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves; Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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 Second Sunday in Lent. I Thessalonians iv. 1.
WE beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; not in the lust of concupiscence,even as the Gentiles which know not God: that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have fore-warned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

 The Gospel for Second Sunday in Lent.  St. Matthew xv. 21.
JESUS went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But she answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour

 

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:

How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
Psalm 36:7

Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again: but I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and as the street, to them that went over.
Isaiah 51:22-23

Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
Amos 3:7

I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
St. John 11:25-26

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39

Turn now from the Word of God to the pages of Church history, and what will you find? You will find that from the days of the apostles down to this hour, public worship has always been one of God’s great instruments in doing good to our souls. Where is it that sleeping souls are generally awakened, dark souls enlightened, dead souls quickened, doubting souls brought to decision, mourning souls cheered, heavy-laden souls relieved? Where, as a general rule, but in the public assembly of Christian worship-pers, and during the preaching fo God’s Word? Take away public worship from the land... forbid people to meet together for religious services... do this, and see what the result would be. You would inflict the greatest spiritual injury on the country which was so treated. You could do nothing so likely to help the devil and stop the progress of Christ’s cause, except the taking away of the Bible.
The Most Rev. J. C. Ryle– (Knots Untied, p. 294).

I Look Not Back - Annie Johnson Flint, 1919

I look not back; God knows the fruitless efforts,
The wasted hours, the sinning, the regrets.
I leave them all with Him who blots the record,
And graciously forgives, and then forgets.

I look not forward; God sees all the future,
The road that, short or long, will lead me home,
And He will face with me its every trial,
And bear for me the burdens that may come.

I look not around me; then would fears assail me,
So wild the tumult of earth's restless seas,
So dark the world, so filled with woe and evil,
So vain the hope of comfort and of ease.

I look not inward; that would make me wretched;
For I have nothing on which to stay my trust.
Nothing I see but failures and shortcomings,
And weak endeavors, crumbling into dust.

But I look up--into the face of Jesus,
For there my heart can rest, my fears are stilled;
And there is joy and love, and light for darkness,
And perfect peace, and every hope fulfilled.

Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Isaiah 43:18

[The] abomination that maketh desolate is now standing in the Holy Place of America's churches. That abomination has been severely censured by God in both the Old and New Testament. We have ordain-ed and consecrated men (and women) who are openly homosexual to the ministry in the churches in America. These wicked people now stand in pulpits and even in episcopal authority over those pulpits. How long do we feel God will withhold His wrath for this willful disregard for His Word?
The Most Rev. Jerry L. Ogles;  (from his sermon on the Fourth Sunday in Advent, 12-20-20).

  Jerry Ogles, Presiding Bishop
 Metropolitan, AOC 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 36

 

 Click link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU6tvAMyJvs

      

Chance Meetings with Christ: The Woman at Jacob’s Well

 Click link: https://youtu.be/d5m5JP4O3JA

   

    

 Chance Meetings with Jesus Series:

Zacchaeus

Click link: https://youtu.be/0FgDEiGqsuo

 

Greetings from Bishop Jerry Ogles to the
Faith Theological Seminary Graduating Class

  Click link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdtsHHiT3hI

 

 

 

Bishop Ernest Jacob
Presiding Bishop Pakistan
Principal Faith Theological Seminary

The Anglican Orthodox Church International, Inc._sm

^{Founder: The Most Rev. James Parker Dees, A.B., B.D., D. D. • Founded November 16, 1963
2228 Wilkesboro Hwy. • P.O. Box 128 • Statesville, N.C. 28687-0128Telephone: 704-873-8365
Email:aocworldwide@gmail.com • Web: www.aocinternational.org
The Most Rev. Ernest Jacob – Presiding Bishop - Pakistan}

To:

His Grace The Presiding Bishop
Chancellor Faith Theological Seminary
Gujranwala Pakistan. 

 Dear Bishop Jerry Ogles 

 It gives me a great joy to report you on our Annual Graduation Day 2025.

Our Graduation ceremony was held on March 13, 2025 at 11:00 A.M at Seminary Campus presided by The Principal. Professor in Hebrew language at University of Punjab Professor Dr. Tony William was our guest speaker. Before the start of the program a message from the Chancellor was read by a the Vice Principal and AV was also shown on screen. 

 This year 7 students received their Master in Divinity, 16 students received their Bachelor in Theology, 6 students received Licentiate in Theology and 4 students received Bible Training Certificates. After the distribution ceremony Mr. Kamil Nasir Administrator FTS thanked all the distinguished guests who attended the ceremony. With closing prayer and benediction by the Principal Bishop Ernest Jacob the Graduation ceremony concluded. 

 We Congratulate Graduation Class 2025, and thank God who gave us opportunity to hold  Convocation this year successfully. 

 Thank you very much to Bishop Jerry Ogles, Cinder Carroll and all FTS friends for their moral and financial support.

 Your in His service 

 +Ernest Jacob 

Presiding Bishop of The Anglican Orthodox Church of Pakistan
and Principal Faith Theological Seminary Gujranwala Pakistan. 

 

O PERFECT LOVE,

a Hymn Devotion for week following 1^st Lent Sunday,

“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.”  Gospel of St. John 3:16
“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” 1 John 4:8

            Just as there are none perfectly righteous beside the Lord Jesus Christ, there is likewise no perfect love apart from His great love signed and sealed by the nail and lance wounds inflicted on the cross for us. This hymn is the composition of Dorothy F. Gurney (1858-1932), daughter of an Anglican clergyman, in 1883, to the tune, O Perfect Love, by Barnby. It has appropriately been sung as a wedding anthem, and rightly so, since it was that Perfect Love of Christ in drinking that bitter cup at Calvary’s Mount to seal His betrothal; to His Bride, the Church. Under Hebrew betrothal customs, the prospective Bridegroom attended the home of his prospective Bride with parents present as witnesses. After discussion before a table furnished only with a cup of wine, if the Bridegroom was receptive to the betrothal, he drank from that Cup; then, if agreeable to the betrothal; as well, the prospective bride would drink from that same Cup sealing the betrothal. This custom reflects the meaning of the counsel of Christ in Matthew 20:22 – “But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.” Mrs. Gurney wrote the hymn for her sister’s wedding after retiring to the study for only fifteen minutes.

 Click here to listen and watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sELDV9qzBVc

O PERFECT LOVE

1 O perfect Love, all human thought transcending, 
lowly we kneel in prayer before thy throne, 
that theirs may be the love which knows no ending, 
whom thou in sacred vow dost join in one.

 

2 O perfect Life, be thou their full assurance 
of tender charity and steadfast faith, 
of patient hope and quiet, brave endurance, 
with childlike trust that fears no pain or death.

 

3 Grant them the joy which brightens earthly sorrow; 
grant them the peace which calms all earthly strife; 
grant them the vision of the glorious morrow 
that will reveal eternal love and life.

 

1 O perfect Love, all human thought transcending, lowly we kneel in prayer before thy throne, that theirs may be the love which knows no ending, whom thou in sacred vow dost join in one. This stanza points out the transcending love of God that surpasses all human comprehension. His love is pure and undiluted. Though we may love Christ with all our hearts, that love can never reflect in completeness the torrential beams of love coming down to us from the Father of Lights and of our Lord Jesus Christ. We kneel before His throne in reverential worship and not the man-centered worship that has become ‘fashionable’ in the modern church. It is our fixed love of God that unites the Body of Christ (the Church) into one just as illustrated by the one Bread of which we partake at Holy Communion.

 

2 O perfect Life, be thou their full assurance of tender charity and steadfast faith, of patient hope and quiet, brave endurance, with childlike trust that fears no pain or death. Truly, we are saved by faith through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; however, that grace of God is not dispensed through a false or misguided faith. True faith results in good works as evidence of its presence. Love commands hope, patience and long suffering. It is not a passing whim of the lukewarm heart. The loving faith of a child exceeds the faith of the aged elect when it is nurtured and tenderly expressed by the parent.

 

3 Grant them the joy which brightens earthly sorrow; grant them the peace which calms all earthly strife; grant them the vision of the glorious morrow that will reveal eternal love and life. Stephen, though under the duress of stoning, looked with joy into Heaven and saw his Lord. So does every professor of faith pass from life to LIFE with joyous expectation of seeing the same Lord that blind Fanny Crosby saw so clearly in her hymns. We, too, may taste that eternal love and life even in our mortal bodies if we have placed our trust in the Lord.

+Jerry Ogles

 The Sermon – Second Sunday in Lent

WE beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. Gospel. St. Matthew xv. 21

The Collect. 

ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves; Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle. 1 Thessalonians iv. 1.

WE beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

The Gospel. St. Matthew xv. 21.

JESUS went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

The opening line of the Collect for today expresses the Reformation doctrine of the depravity of man without Christ – we can do nothing to save ourselves, it is an act of the Sovereignty of God. The purpose of the Commandments of God is not to our peril, but for our good. God’s cleanses the believer first in soul and inward grace, and then in the outward living example.  “Purge me with hyssop (a herbal laxative), and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow (outward conduct).” (Psalm 51:7) We suffer as a result of sin and disobedience, but knowing, loving and seeking the Lord and His Word brings joy and gladness: “Make me to hear joy and gladness; That the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.” (Psalm 51:8)

            The Epistle sets forth our present duties and future hope. How shall we then live? Two distinct properties must characterize the Christian:

1. Abstinence from sin and lusts of the flesh; and
2. Setting an example in both conduct and righteous living.

Not only do we abstain from sins of commission, but also those of omission as the General Confession so aptly states. How may we accomplish such a high mark being weak in the flesh? By being strong in the Spirit.

            Remember, we have perfect liberty in Christ. Our wills are changed so that we no longer desire the old sins of the flesh, but we will to do righteousness by the power of the Holy Spirit. Being possessed of the Spirit, our liberty is without limit: “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8) It is the Word and Spirit that motivates every action of the believer in Christ. Not the truth alone, nor the Spirit alone – “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)

            The sinner lives in sin because he does not know God. We, on the other hand, have the blessing of both knowing and loving God. “ . . . the Gentiles which know not God.” (1 Thessalonians 4:5) So, we know the ‘how’ of living righteously by His Word by abstinence and good works; and we are told the ‘why’ in the Epistle:

1.      By knowing the will of God shared in His Word and reinforced by His Holy spirit.

2.      Because it is God’s Will for us.

3.      Because to intentional disobey the Law of Gods brings judgment.

4.      Because God has given us Commandments to that end.

5.      Because God has not left nor forsaken us. He has given us the gift of the Holy spirit to fortify our faith and obedience.

            In our Gospel text, we learn the power of “prevailing prayer.” Just as blind Bartimaeus could not be discharged or discouraged by attempts to hush his pleading, neither does the Canaanite woman from the coast of Tyre and Sidon. This entire event in the ministry of our Lord, I believe, is to teach us the value of persistence in prayer. It was never the Lord’s practice to treat sinners harshly, but in love and courtesy; however, He seems to ignore this woman’s pleading for her daughter. Why? He heard the woman’s plea (and actually knew her need long before He came into that region). Those around Jesus tried to hush the woman and send her away empty.

            Even in that distant region, the woman knew something of Christ. She called Him Lord and the Son of David which was a precise title for the Messiah. Even a little knowledge of God will go far in bringing near the Throne of Mercy and Grace.

            When the disciples proposed to send her away, Christ responded with a very telling remark: “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” There is profound meaning in this remark. This woman was a gentile woman of Canaan, yet, Christ is seeking her as one of His lost sheep. All who have believed the promise of a Redeemer made to Abraham are, in fact, the children of Abraham and Israel, indeed, spiritually. (see Romans 4:16)

            But this woman will have an answer to her prayer. She came and worshipped Christ. This act was far more telling than the actions of many of national Israel. The Lord continues to allow a strong lesson to be witnessed by the disciples. The woman will not be put off even with a gentle rebuff. She pronounces the same simple and brief prayer of Peter when he began to sink in the Galilean Sea: “Lord, help me!” This little three-worded prayer can accomplish far more than the meaningless and verbose prayers of the proud and mighty.

            Jesus continues to bring out the virtues of faith in the woman’s plea – not to offend her, but to reveal a mighty principle to the disciples round about. “It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs (puppies).” In a large household, it is the love of the children who secretly hand down food from the table to the puppy below. The bread the puppy receives is of the same quality and character of those at the table. To this woman, it was the Bread of Life. “And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.” Profound need generates profound faith for it may be the last tool in the box for the petitioner. This revealed the whole purpose of Christ in demonstrating that faith to His disciples. “Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.” Her faith was greater than her need, and our Lord granted her prayer of faith and persistence.

            We live in perilous times of persecution, martyrdom, and ridicule of things Holy. Even in our churches, there may be those who would send us away empty, but not our Lord Jesus Christ. He already knows our need, but He seeks our faithful persistence in prayer for resolution of that need. Never give up!

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 instruction that Bp Morley is giving to us. We hope you enjoy the following:

 The Elephant in the Room

     There's an elephant in the room, the Anglican room that is, and no one seems to want to talk about it. The matter of women's ordination has been around now for about fifty years in TEC and elsewhere, but the matter is far from settled. More than half the Provinces of the Anglican Communion ordain women to the priesthood and another third refuse women the episcopate. There was no consensus amongst churchmen when women's ordination was adopted by a small minority, but the numbers have changed drastically with the passage of time. The term "broken communion" was adopted for a time to allow for those who could not accept the innovation to remain in their jurisdictions but the term no longer applies.

     In 1951, when American Anglicans broadly accepted the new translation of the Bible called "the Revised Standard" the reading of Romans 16:1 promoted Phoebe to the office of "deaconess" in the church of Cenchrea. For fifteen hundred years Phoebe had been a lowly but notable "servant" of the church in Cenchrea but someone gave her a promotion to the ordained ministry. Paul called himself a servant and recommended that we all become servants as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself a servant. By 1974, Romans 16:1 had become the clarion cry for proponents of women's ordination, "It's IN THE BIBLE" - and no theology was ever offered to stop the progress of the innovation, despite Canon Law. In 1976, Canon Law was changed to permit it, and Prayer Book revision was engaged to allow for it since the 1928 BCP did not. It was a pronoun thing. Sound familiar?

    With the prominence of the women's movement in America, public approbation of women in the ministry has increased geometrically. Since the early seventies, all major Protestant denominations ordain women but have suffered significant losses in membership. The Roman Church and the Eastern Orthodox/Oriental Churches remain opposed but have many proponents within their ranks - and in rare instances have individual renegade bishops who have contravened Canon Law. Most of the Continuing Churches do not ordain women (although there have been some exceptions in years past) and the newly formed Anglican Church of North America (not the original ACNA) has female clergy but as yet denies them the episcopate.

     It is important for the clergy of our Anglican Orthodox Communion and all churchmen to be familiar with the history of women's ordination and the faulty biblical "eisegesis" behind it. We are often accused of "hating women" because of our theology by those who are not familiar with the history or biblical understanding of ministry in Anglicanism. The charismatic movement has also had a tremendous effect on the acceptance of women's ordination in America, aided by the ubiquitous presence of charismatic "preachers" on radio and television.

     I strongly recommend Bishop Paul Moore's apologia for women's ordination in his book "Take a Bishop Like Me." It reveals the extreme liberal mindset of those who chose to violate the Canon Laws and customs of the Protestant Episcopal Church in ordaining "the Philadelphia Eleven" in 1974, and his own personal secretary Ellen Barrett in 1976. He admits that he violated his own principles and conscience in promoting this innovation, fully aware of the tempest that would follow, nearly splitting the PECUSA in two.

     While the matter may appear to be settled for some, it must be noted that the rise of the gay rights and LGBTQ movement has followed the women's movement, and the acceptance of homosexuality in the Church. It remains one of the most difficult pastoral concerns for those in parish ministry, as society increasingly accepts transgenderism and other sexual aberrations. It is often reported that Gene Robinson was "the first openly gay bishop" in the Episcopal Church. He was not. The fact is there have been gay men in the ministry of the Church for many years, but never openly accepted as they are today. Likewise, lesbianism is widely accepted in the modern Churches especially in the ministry. Barbara Harris, the first woman ordained a bishop in the Anglican Communion, was a lesbian.

     You may say these matters do not concern the AOC as we are doctrinally clear on the matter of human sexuality and the ordained ministry. But as we deal with modern societal issues, we must, as Holy Scripture admonishes, "…be ready always to give an answer for the hope that is in us." (I Peter 3:15) The world is always attempting to affect the Body of Christ negatively but we must always present the Truth of the Gospel with love and understanding.

+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 Second Sunday in Lent

 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Matthew 15:21-28

 FAITH AND HOLINESS

If faith consisted of a personal decision, independent of any divine intervention - which is called grace - Jesus would have told us so. However, this is not the case. True faith is a gift from God. Faith is inimitable, especially in trials. And God knows very well how to test our faith, as He tested Abraham's faithfulness by asking him to sacrifice his own son Isaac (Genesis 22:15-17): “And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.” Our Lord and Heavenly Father, therefore, has great blessings in store for those who listen to Him and obey Him. And these blessings are not for the purpose of satisfying our desires, but only the glory of God. Paul paid the price by suffering in his body, which God did not want to heal “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee…” (2 Corinthians 12:9a), “That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:31).

Our Lord tests our faith by the trials He sends us. It is not a question of mortifying ourselves during Lent, nor of seeking martyrdom - the Fathers of the Church were very much opposed to this, because if all Christians had anticipated the Roman persecution to ensure for themselves a good place in Heaven, the Church would not have survived for long, and we would not be here today, gathered in the presence of God. Look at Jesus Christ Himself: He did not seek the Cross (Matthew 26:39): “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”  It was not His will to be crucified, but the Father's. Nuance!

Holiness is therefore submission to the will of the Father, for His glory alone (Psalm 115/1): “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.” God knows what He does and what He expects of each one of us. Our Father in Heaven wants to glorify Himself in His elect, and we are His elect, we are His adopted children in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior. We glorify God by our holiness, our difference from all the lost people of this world (John 17:6-10): “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them."

We glorify God by our holiness, not by our painful mortifications. And if we do sometimes fast, it is not in order to suffer, but to feel in our body our dependence on God and on other people. For it is God who makes the mushrooms that we gather grow without having planted them; it is God who gives growth to our vegetable garden and orchard, producing fruits and vegetables in abundance; it is God who makes the grass grow that fattens our animals for slaughter... so much for our dependence on God. And as for depending on others, what would we eat without farmers or fishermen, bakers and pastry chefs, butchers and fishmongers, grocers and deep-frozen foods? God wanted men to serve Him... by serving us something to fill our plate!

We then touch on another important aspect of Lent, after fasting and obedience to God's will: thanksgiving. To be polite, it is up to us to thank God for all His blessings, for all His gifts, and especially for His grace. We owe our salvation to Him, for we have neither deserved nor bought it by ourselves; but Christ redeemed us by meriting our salvation, by dying on the cross in our place. Brothers and sisters, let us not be ungrateful, nor spoiled children who think that salvation is due to them by privilege of birth, and that this salvation would not imply any change in behavior in relation to the damned who populate the world. See how God's chosen people, Israel, turned away from God and went astray into idolatry (2 Kings 17:12): “For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.” when they called themselves the descendants of Abraham according to the flesh; but they were no longer the descendants of Abraham according to the Spirit,  having renounced faith and obedience to the will of God as expressed to them by Moses (1 Corinthians 10:1-10): “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; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer." Israel has long persevered in idolatry, since the prophets reproach them for it, as does Jeremiah, to name but one: (Jeremiah 8:19): “Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the LORD in Zion? is not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities?”

Paul reminds all the churches of Christ that the love of riches is idolatry, not just sex or power (Ephesians 5:5): “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” We have just seen what he said to the Ephesians; and to the Corinthians he said, “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.” (1 Corinthians 5:11);  To the Thessalonians he said this: "Let no one trample [his brother], or profit to the injury of his brother in any matter; because the Lord is the avenger of all these things, as we have told you before, and as we have assured you. For God hath not called us to defilement, but to sanctification" (1 Thessalonians 3:6-7); to the Colossians he writes (Colossians 3:5): “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry”

Don't get me wrong: Paul is not asking us to pay tithes to the church, nor to enrich the poor of the whole earth, because that is impossible. We contribute more than that to Social Security; He only asks us not to leave our brothers and sisters - our fellow parishioners - in need and want, if we can relieve them out of our possessions. Lent is therefore the time when we return to God and to our brothers and sisters, paying more attention to them, and to serve them.

Our Lord Jesus Christ had the same sense of service to the brethren, that is, to the Jews to whom He was sent on a preaching mission, a teaching supported by many signs and miracles (Luke 6:19): “And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.” But when he arrives in the territory of Tyre and Sidon, Christ places Himself outside the chosen people. And once again, a Canaanite woman, a pagan woman - a woman without a husband, moreover - comes to implore the King of the Jews, like the leper Syrian general Naaman in 2 Kings chapter 5, to heal his daughter (Matthew 15:22b-24): “… Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” This answer of Christ is hard to hear. Christ thus justifies his disciples - all of them being Jews - who demanded that He rid them of an unclean woman. In doing so, He leaves her no other choice, for the salvation of her daughter possessed by a demon, than to insist until Christ yields to her prayer, like the widow importunate to the judge (Luke 18:1-5): “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.” Notice that Jesus concludes this parable with a question of faith, verse 8: "… when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

To pray with faith is to pray with insistence, perseverance, trust and love. But this is precisely what the Canaanite woman does (Matthew 15:25): “Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.” She insists in drawing near to the Lord, she adores Him and prays to Him; it is almost an order that she dares to give to the son of David, to the King of Israel! Jesus answered her in the following verse: “But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.” Christ persists in His harshness towards this poor pagan woman. He tests her faith: “And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.” What humility! Madam would be satisfied and content with the crumbs of the Bread of Life which are neglected by the children of Israel. Madam acknowledges that the Jews have priority, and that “… that good part … shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42b). Madam recognizes that the power of God lies in Christ, Madam turns to Jesus - she is converted - Madam puts her trust in Christ and prays to Him. “Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.” Do you think that after that, that same Madam would return to her old idols? I don't believe it for a minute!

May this Lenten season be an opportunity for us to clean up our homes, picking up the precious crumbs that have fallen from the table of the Jews. Let us cleanse our hearts from idols of every kind, from sin in all its forms, and let us turn to Christ, our only Savior, with confidence. Let us pray to God, and let us not forget to thank Him for the grace that the Father has given us in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son; a grace that is infused by His Holy Spirit, present in each of us. 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 a common message of action as we enter into the time of Lent, a season of preparation.  Let us start by reading today’s Collect:

The Second Sunday in Lent.

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves; Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Consider these words from the Collect:

… we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves; Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul …

In the Collect, we acknowledge to God that we cannot direct our own lives; if we listen to our own selves we are without guidance.  Consider the airplane flying, it orders its movements according to Polaris, the Pole Star of True North.  If a pilot flies guided by his “inner self” he soon knows only where he is: at the controls, and little else.  Like the pilot who needs to know where the True North is so he can orient himself, we need God’s guidance to move towards our goal of eternal life with Him. While flying my aircraft in instrument meteorological conditions or IMC, I have to rely on the aircraft instruments as our bodily senses lie to us about our aircrafts true altitude. So too do we have to rely on Scriptures for our guidance on the path towards heaven as our natural inclinations will also lie to us on our true performance. This is why we cannot rely on ourselves to navigate towards heaven but we need the help of our spiritual navigator the Holy Ghost.

The first step of getting onto the narrow uphill path towards heaven is that we have to consider our predicament, that without the help of the Holy Ghost we cannot get onto the narrow uphill path towards heaven. So let us ask for the Holy Ghost to enter into our hearts, souls and minds that we might walk on that straight and narrow up hill path towards heaven.

Thus, when Paul tells us to keep our bodies under control of our minds and our minds to be guided by God only, He helps move us on course. He tells us to avoid the things that can sabotage our journey towards God and can physically hurt both our souls and body. These things he lists out are things that would derail us from walking that straight and narrow up hill path, if we engaged in those activities. We must seek to not do them and to instead remain on the course line that the Holy Spirit has outlined for us. This ties in very well with the collect’s request for God to keep us outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls. It links the theme of both spiritual and physical moderation extremely well. If we stay away from the things that would derail us, we will find our journey on the narrow uphill trail to be much easier than if we didn’t stay away from those things. The Holy Ghost will help us avoid those negative activities and moderate our spiritual and physical lives if we will allow Him in and listen to His Guidance.

Being honest with others and especially ourselves is one of the most important things we can do. If we are not honest with ourselves to start, how can we be honest with others?  The worst person to lie to is yourself after all. If we are to be living our faith, we need to show it in our actions and not just in our words. Whenever we act we need to consider if that action would show that we are indeed believers, or like many, those who vainly profess to believe with their lips but their actions show otherwise. We must strive to act and show that we do indeed have faith in God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost.

Keeping evil thoughts under control can be a difficult task, but we do not have to face it alone, we have the Holy Ghost in our lives and other Christians and friends that support us and guide us, that can help us battle evil thoughts.  This is not a battle that we should be fighting alone, but with support from the Holy Ghost and our Christians and other friends. This proves that Christianity is not a solitary religion but a social one. We need the help of our fellow believers if we are to succeed at the race of Life. Of course, we need to be willing to talk to our good friends within the Church about our problems and evil thoughts and listen to their advice, and more importantly to the Holy Ghost’s advice to combat these evil thoughts and drive away the temptations of the devil.  Christianity did not flourish because its followers were hermits, it flourished because its followers evangelized the religion throughout the known world. It is an active religion and it requires its followers to actively participate in it by spreading the Good News.  It would never have spread as far as it did if it was a hermetic religion.  Keeping our thoughts under control can be almost impossible at times but with the help of the Holy Spirit it is not impossible at all.

Matthew gives us a fine example of faith that demonstrates how we must be guided by faith in our Lord.  The woman who cries unto Jesus is a Gentile, just like us.  Just like us she longs for His Mercy.  In her case, she asks only for the mercy rejected by others, the crumbs of the Master’s Table[1].  This is the essence of our faith, we are not worthy to dine at His Table, no more than dogs are meet to dine at our table.  Yet, what is left over is more than enough for us.  And we are content with that, knowing what miserable creatures we are.  And, even more important, even knowing what miserable creatures we are, Jesus offers to share His Table with us.  This woman had just as much faith in Jesus as the Faithful Centurion. She had faith that He would share His Mercy with her and heal her Daughter. She was rewarded for her faith by Him healing her daughter.  The key in all of these interactions that Jesus had with these people, is that these people had tremendous faith in Him. We must have that same faith and we must show it in our lives by carrying out actions consistent with his message.

He is not content for us to grovel for His crumbs. If He offers His love for us, should we not love Him back, by acting upon our faith?  If you truly believe, you are compelled to act upon the faith you have. Action is the key cornerstone of the Christian faith. Jesus after all laid down His life for ours on the cross that we might have eternal life, the ultimate example of action. If He did that for us, it would be behoove us to act upon our Faith and follow His Example of helping others and leading them to God.

It is also important to understand if one loves God, He still has the exact same amount of love available for any other person or group.  His love is infinite, even if it wasn’t, love multiplies in use! We do not have to worry about God running out of love at all. There is more than enough to go around!

Recognize how poorly you do with your own guidance, accept His Guidance, stay on course and accept the fruits of that action. Realize that you will make mistakes multiple times in your life, but what counts is that you turn back to God and do your best not to make that same mistake again.

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

Bishop Jack Arnold

 

 

  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.

 

 Second Sunday in Lent Sermon

 

 In our epistle lesson (I Thessalonians 4), St. Paul called on the Thessalonians to follow not only the sound doctrines which he and others had taught them, but to observe their manner of living. We beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. (v.1) Consider also the admonition by the apostle in his second epistle to the Thessalonians when he said, ⁷for yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; ⁸neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: ⁹not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. ¹⁰For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat (3:7-10).

As born-again believers in Jesus Christ, we have been called to follow the examples of those who came before us in godly living. Still, every occupation requires a skill or talent whether it is in ministry, or in one of the many trades and crafts of the secular world. And it would be unrealistic for our Lord to expect from us what we do not have the capacity to perform in his service. So it follows that each of us ought to know what gifts we possess, and to exercise the same in a thoughtful manner. In addition, we ought to exercise godly discernment through a regime of sincere and fervent prayer coupled with a daily dose of Scripture. Daily prayer maintains our spiritual link with the Godhead, while daily Bible reading opens us up to the workings of the Holy Ghost. For it is he who will assist us in our discernment of those specific gifts and callings which God would have us do in his service.

But a caveat is in order at this point, for in no way will the gifts and callings of our heavenly Father conflict with his word written. While we may desire a particular gift or service, we must not let our personal preferences supplant the will and wishes of the Godhead. That too, is an important aspect of godly discernment— letting God choose and not we ourselves. Consider our Lord’s calling in service to the Father. He knew that he must first preach and minister to the children of Israel. He knew that his ultimate service was to suffer and die for the sins of the whole world. He knew he would to be resurrected and after a time of earthly visitation with his disciples, he would ascend to right hand of the Father where he now serves as our intercessor. And last but not least, he knew that in the future he would return to this world as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16).

Now some might say, “Well, Jesus is God’s Son and was well aware of his purpose before he arrived here in the flesh.” Agreed. Nevertheless, he prayed daily and he worshiped God as a faithful Jew would have done in the days of his earthly ministry. Our Lord encouraged us to pray as well because it opens the doors of heaven to us. Prayer opens also the doors of our hearts to God so that we can be answered. As St. Paul noted in his epistle to the Romans (8:16). The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. The Holy Ghost is referred to in St. John’s gospel as The Comforter (14:26; 15:26; 16:7), the Greek word for which is Parakletos and can be translated as “one called alongside to help.” It can also be translated as “advocate” or “one who represents a party in court.” That is important to keep in mind for when we sin, we sin against God and his Spirit urges us to repent and be made whole in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Spirit stirs our consciences and brings us to see our errors as they are— damning and ugly. Only by means of the Holy Ghost are we convicted in our minds and hearts and made fit to call upon the Father and be forgiven.

It is unfortunate that so many people tend to keep the doors of their heart closed to the Holy Ghost for any number of reasons, most of which are evil in nature. If we want to learn from God we must put an end to evil-doing and turn unto him who can free us from our sins. In another portion of his epistle to the Romans (12:2) the apostle wrote, And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. The world we live in— that is, this world system— is not of God. It is dominated by the god of this world who has blinded the unregenerate so that they will likely never accept Christ as their Saviour and Lord (II Corinthians 4:4). That is why the apostle John advised the faithful in his first epistle to, ¹⁵Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. ¹⁷And the world passeth away and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (2:15-17) And the apostle Paul advised the Ephesian church that they, …¹walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called... ⁷but unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ... ¹¹And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers ¹²for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. (4:1-12)

God has left it for us to properly discern the specifics of what we have been called to do in this life. So let us seek the Lord and learn from the Holy Ghost just what we have been called to perform in his service. And afterwards, let us then abide in our respective callings and go wherever the Spirit leads us. We should ever seek to be like Isaiah and Samuel in our responses to God’s calling, …⁸Here am I; send me, and …¹⁰Speak; for thy servant heareth (see Isaiah 6:8; I Samuel 3:10).

Let us pray,

Father forgive us and cleanse us of our willful and prideful natures; and give us hearts that are inclined to serve thee and not ourselves; for these things we ask in the name of him who came into this world agreeable to thy will even thine only begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Have a blessed week,

Bryan+

     

Roy Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor
Saint Paul's Anglican Church
Diocese of the Midwest Anglican Orthodox Church
Suffragan Bishop of the AOC

 Sermon for Second Sunday in Lent

 Psalm 30; First lesson. Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32; Second lesson. St. Matthew 5:27-37

ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves; Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 “But it’s not fair”

Ah, the great phrase of the secular world in the last 90 years or so.  “But it’s not fair”.

As a good pastor/bishop in the AOC liked to point out...there is no such phrase in the Bible.*   The very idea that fairness is a concept that should be applied to the Holy One of Creation is a travesty. Who are we to make such a statement, when knowingly sitting in the pit of sin and desperation? And yet we are compelled to make such a foolish utterance, essentially because the father of lies has made it a common theme.

Over the years of secularization of public education there has been an effort to make mankind the center of all creation, not that this concept wasn’t started from the Fall, it just has had better advertising and acceptance. While Christian education, Sunday School, catechism, Bible study have all become the exception, the secular world has been making great inroads in moral education. Or in fact immoral education, or some variation of a theme, “secular morality.” Every step to normalize what was considered immoral or at least wrong behavior, is now considered a “choice”. While true science has been turned on its head to confirm feelings, not facts, we now are fighting for the lives and souls of the most vulnerable, the young people in our charge.  

   Why is it legal now in many states to reverse nature (science..biology) with chemicals and surgery?  

As we read the first lesson from Ezekiel, we find some familiar questions. 

²⁵Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?

This verse 25 in essence, asks the very question that modern secularist are asking, ‘...the way of the Lord is not equal (read fair).  The prophet gives God’s answer. “Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal?  your ways (are) unequal. Not equal, not correct.

To emphasize this point, the prophet says the following: ²⁶When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. ²⁷Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.

In our world a good or righteous person doesn’t have to worry about messing up, they are good. But a bad person can not be redeemed.  The difference is, in God’s providence, the a bad person, who turns away from his evil ways AND does good, “...²⁷he shall save his soul alive..” ²⁸Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

When secular society is taught that one cannot change their behavior, it is okay to continue in error or what is “your truth”, no changes are necessary. You can see that this leads to all types of deviant behavior, what was once considered aberrant, is now considered a “life choice”, so no holds barred, go for it. Hedonism gone amok, the very lowest forms of debauchery are considered normal, nothing is bad, everything, if it feels good, is permitted. Wow, how long will God withhold his punishment from such a vile land?

We come back to the basic theme of fairness. In our world, something that isn’t fair should not be allowed. The prophet again asks the question as posed by those in Israel: 

²⁹Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?

God will be the judge of his creation. He does not take pleasure in the death of a sinner, he tells them to …³⁰repent, turn yourselves from ALL your transgression.....and live. And yet he will judge those who call themselves believers, those who profess a faith and yet do not live it. There will be a day of reconciliation. ³⁰Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. ³¹Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

It is God’s rules, statues, and laws that will prevail in the end, all those who do evil in the name of good, or for self enrichment, will be cast down.  And yet, all those who repent, turn from their wickedness and seek the Lord...while he may be found, will be saved.

Simple gospel message. We find this theme over and over in our Morning and Evening prayer service, we find this gospel message in the Holy Communion service...all of these services inspired by the Word of God. As Anglican believers, we should embrace the Word of God as we find it in our weekly worship and daily devotions. We must feed upon the Word, taking in the spiritual nourishment that God has provided us in his Word and by his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

^^^^^^^^^^

* the late Bishop Hap Arnold, rector of the Church of the Good Centurion, Descanso, CA

Let us pray:

Remember, O Lord, what thou hast wrought in us, and not what we deserve, and as thou hast called us to thy service, make us worthy of our calling, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in thy well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that all the peoples of the earth, though now divided and in bondage to sin, may be made free and brought together under his most gracious rule, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

O Lord, take our minds, and think through them, Take our lips, and speak through them, Take our hearts, and set them on fire with love for thee. What we know not, teach us. What we have not, give us. What we are not, make us. For Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

Bishop Roy Morales-Kuhn

 

 

Rev. David McMillan
AOC Minister at Large
Alabama

We are Fortunate today to have a sermon from Rev. David McMillian

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT

Deut. 26:(1-4)5-11 Ps 91 or 91:9-16 Romans 10:4-13 Luke 4:1-13;

Too Tempting

The story is told of four high school boys who couldn't resist the temptation to skip morning classes. Each had been smitten with a bad case of spring fever. After lunch they showed up at school and reported to the teacher that their car had a flat tire. Much to their relief, she smiled and said, "Well, you missed a quiz this morning, so take your seats and get out a pencil and paper." Still smiling, she waited as they settled down and got ready for her questions. Then she said, "First question--which tire was flat?" from sermons@sermons.com

"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15: all scripture KJV)

The Hymn says it all so well for the Season by George Hunt Smyttan, 1856

1. Forty Days and Forty Nights
Thou Wast Fasting in the Wild
Forty Days and Forty Nights
Tempted and Yet undefiled.

2. Shall We Not Thy Sorrow Share
 And From Worldly Joys Abstain
Fasting With Unceasing Prayer
Strong With Thee to Suffer Pain?

3. Then If Satan On Us Press
Flesh or spirit to assail
Victor In the Wilderness
Grant that We may not Faint nor fail!

4. So We shall Have Peace Divine
Holier Gladness Ours Shall Be
Round Us Too Shall Angels Shine
Such as Ministered to Thee

5. Keep O Keep Us, Saviour Dear
   Ever Constant by Thy Side
 That With Thee We May Appear
  At the Eternal Eastertide

--I came across this on a post from a friend of mine, and found it timely.

"CS Lewis Daily -
TO MARY NEYLAN, who had told Lewis she was going to resume the practice of her faith after years of alienation and theological struggle: On acting on the light one has; on the unreliability of religious emotion; on confession of sins to a spiritual director; and on daily spiritual and Bible reading.

4 January 1941

Congratulations . . . on your own decision. I don’t think this decision comes either too late or too soon. One can’t go on thinking it over for ever; and one can begin to try to be a disciple before one is a professed theologian. In fact they tell us, don’t they, that in these matters to act on the light one has is almost the only way to more light. Don’t be worried about feeling that, or about feeling at all. As to what to do, I suppose the normal next step, after self-examination repentance and restitution, is to make your Communion; and then to continue as well as you can, praying as well as you can . . . and fulfilling your daily duties as well as you can. And remember always that religious emotion is only a servant. . . This, I say, would be the obvious course. If you want anything more e.g. Confession and Absolution which our church enjoins on no-one but leaves free to all—let me know and I’ll find you a directeur. If you choose this way, remember it’s not the psychoanalyst over again: the confessor is the representative of Our Lord and declares His forgiveness—his advice or ‘understanding’ though of real, is of secondary importance.

For daily reading I suggest (in small doses) Thomas à Kempis’ ‘Imitation of Christ’ and the ‘Theologia Germanica’...and of course the Psalms and New Testament. Don’t worry if your heart won’t respond: do the best you can. You are certainly under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, or you wouldn’t have come where you now are: and the love that matters is His for you—yours for Him may at present exist only in the form of obedience. He will see to the rest.

This has been great news for me I need hardly say. You have all my prayers (not that mine are worth much).

From The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume II

Compiled in Yours, Jack"

"³He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. ⁴Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. ⁵But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:3-5)

“Who did not sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.” (1 Peter 2:22)

In our Gospel reading this morning in Luke 4 it is Jesus' first day on the job. Immediately he is confronted with three major temptations. And he is confronted with this basic question: Would he take the crown without the cross?"  sermons@sermons.com

The local sheriff was looking for a deputy, and one of the applicants - who was not known to be the brightest academically, was called in for an interview. "Okay," began the sheriff, "What is 1 and 1?" "Eleven," came the reply. The sheriff thought to himself, "That's not what I meant, but he's right."

Then the sheriff asked, "What two days of the week start with the letter 'T'?" "Today & tomorrow." Replied the applicant. The sheriff was again surprised over the answer, one that he had never thought of himself.

"Now, listen carefully, who killed Abraham Lincoln?", asked the sheriff. The job seeker seemed a little surprised, then thought really hard for a minute and finally admitted, "I don't know." The sheriff replied, "Well, why don't you go home and work on that one for a while?" The applicant left and wandered over to his pals who were waiting to hear the results of the interview. He greeted them with a cheery smile, "The job is mine! The interview went great! First day on the job and I'm already working on a murder case!"

These are basic temptations in life. These three temptations form the foundation for all other temptations. And I would propose that when temptations come our way; if we will pause and classify the temptations, identify them with one of the three temptations Jesus faced; we will be equipped to answer Satan with the words and obedience of Christ.

Let's look at the three temptations:

1. Stone into Bread: The temptation to use power for the wrong purposes.

Or? Certainly that was a part of it. He could have done it certainly as we was the Son of God. But recognizing that the spiritual triumphs the physical was at the root of this temptation?

2. Serve The Wrong Master: The temptation to idolatry.

An offer of unlimited power. Jesus replies that we should only worship the Lord thy God, and Him serve.

3. Jump on the Rocks: The Temptation to gain popularity by performance

Cast yourself down Satan says, and see what happens. God will save you. This is not faith, but presumption.

The Devil asks us to compromise with evil in service to others and the world. The means justify the ends in other words. Here as in all things living in this world we prepare for the next. The Commandments, the Lord's Prayer and the two great commandments that Jesus gave in summary of the Ten should be our guide. It is not as simple as we are led to believe. Does violating a commandment that brings greater good make sense? For example in Iraq, an Officer told the Soldiers to fire their weapon near the head of an Iraqi to threaten them to reveal the location of the extremists. It worked, and the threat brought about the result of getting the enemy. 

I am sure we can think of other situations that call us to think of the results we wish for. Is any means good to achieve the ends?  Do we all shade the truth to make ourselves or our friends look better? 

The days before Easter are days of examination and spiritual cleansing. How do we attempt to do that?  Is this something we should just do before Easter, or should it be a daily exercise?

We can be right about certain things of the Bible and its teaching but we can leave out their application in the world we live in which is not so cut and dry at times. Truth matters, yes. But how do we deliver it?

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 went well, keep praying for successful recovery treatment-praise god

 Donna – Breast Cancer- Surgery March 24th

 Leslie – False teachers

 Malou – Cancer

Ruth – Melanoma – surgery March 11- Surgery Succesful – They got it all!- PRAISE GOD

 Jim Kniffen – AFIB – Ablation Surgery coming up

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.

   The Thanksgiving.

TO our prayers, O Lord, we join our unfeigned thanks for all thy mercies; for our being, our reason, and all other endowments and faculties of soul and body; for our health, friends, food, and raiment, and all the other comforts and conveniences of life. Above all, we adore thy mercy in sending thy only Son into the world, to redeem us from sin and eternal death, and in giving us the knowledge and sense of our duty towards thee. We bless thee for thy patience with us, notwithstanding our many and great provocations; for all the directions, assistances, and comforts of thy Holy Spirit; for thy continual care and watchful providence over us through the whole course of our lives; and particularly for the mercies and benefits of this day; beseeching thee to continue these thy blessings to us, and to give us grace to show our thankfulness in a sincere obedience to his laws, through whose merits and intercession we received them all, thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

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, Jim Sevier,
Linda,  Colin, Lowery, Robert, Donna, Eddie, Tate,

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[1] Sound familiar?  Check out the Prayer of Humble Access, Holy Communion, BCP Page 82.