250406 AOC Sunday Report
Worldwide Communion
Passion Sunday
Fifth Sunday in Lent
Sunday Report
April 6, 2025
Passion Sunday 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 132-133
The Collect for Passion Sunday in Lent
WE beseech thee, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon thy people; that by thy great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore, both in body and soul; 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 Passion Sunday in Lent. Hebrews ix. 11.
CHRIST being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
The Gospel for Passion Sunday in Lent. St. John viii. 46.
JESUS said, Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you; but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.
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:
O clap your hands,
all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
Psalm 47:1
If a ruler hearken to
lies, all his servants are wicked.
Proverbs 29:12
Let us search and try
our ways, and turn again to the LORD.
Lamentations 3:40
Every tree that
bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore
by their fruits ye shall know them.
St. Matthew 7:19-20
Be ye therefore
followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved
us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a
sweetsmelling savour.
Ephesians 5:1-2
Wherever you may live, and whatever may be your trials...
nothing should prevent your aiming at the highest standard, to behave like one
who believes that Christ is coming again. You should resolve , by God’s help,
so to live, that the day of Christ shall find you needing as little change as
possible. You should seek to have tastes so heavenly, affections so spiritual,
a will so subdued, a mind so unworldly, that when the Lord appears you may be
thoroughly in tune with his kingdom... Let there be light in your heart
continually; Christ dwelling there by faith, felt, known and experienced by
your soul. Let there be light in your life continually; Christ reflected there,
followed, imitated and copied. Seek to be a light in the world, and nothing
less, a bright light, a clear light, a light that men can see afar off. Do this
and you will put on the armour of light.
The Most Rev. J. C. Ryle (Are You Ready For The End Of Time, p.
80).
“Kindness is a grace that all can understand”
"Let us
show kindness to every one with whom we have to do.
Let us strive
to have an eye ready to see, and a hand ready to help,
and a heart ready
to feel, and a will ready to do good to all.
Let us be
ready to weep with them that weep,
and rejoice
with them that rejoice.
This is one
way to recommend our religion,
and make it beautiful before men.
Kindness is a
grace that all can understand.
This is one
way to be like our blessed Saviour.
If there is
one feature in His character more notable than another,
it is His
unwearied kindness."
-~J.C.
Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Luke~
1: 155. Ryle
is commenting on Luke 7:1-10.
I believe that there are many Christians today who confute faith for grace. Without the Grace of God, there would be no faith – for faith is a gift of God’s Grace. True belief and faith is a creation in our hearts by the Grace of God and His Holy Spirit working to draw us near. Since grace is a free gift, the disposition of the heart of man cannot act on its own to draw near to God – it must first be drawn there by grace. “For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.” (Romans 5:15) The tenth of our Thirty Nine Articles of Religion of the Reformation Church of England bear this biblical truth out in its doctrinal statement: “The condition of Man after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and good works, to faith, and calling upon God. Wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing (preceding or drawing) us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will.”
The great Reformer, Martin Luther, made the grace of God the centerpiece of his work – Bondage of the Will – as posited by the 8th & 9th verses of Ephesians 2 (and many other biblical references): “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
So you believe you did a good deed in coming to the Lord? Without grace drawing you there, you could not have approached.
The Most Rev. Jerry L. Ogles; (Sufficient Grace, 4-27-16).
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 39
Click link: https://youtu.be/0_Y3HQdwqJY
The Providence
and Grace of God Series:
Hagar
and The Wilderness Well
Click link: https://youtu.be/9lwCgndnkgs
Providence and Grace
Series:
Footsteps
of Moses
Click link: https://youtu.be/9lwCgndnkgs
Names and Titles of our Lord Series:
Savior
Click link: https://youtu.be/mYPEUdsfUFw
TO THE HILLS I WILL LIFT MINE EYES
a Hymn Devotion
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, From whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, Which made heaven and earth.” Psalms 121:1-2
This is a paraphrase hymn of the 121st Psalm much in the traditions of the early Reformation Psaltery. The wording is that of Marcus Morris Wells (1815-1895) as well as the tune, GUIDE, itself. Wells is most known for his hymn, Holy Spirit, Faithful Guide, for which he also composed both lyrics and tune. This latter is a favorite of mine as it was sung at my father’s funeral.
TO THE HILLS I WILL LIFT MINE EYES
To the hills I lift mine eyes;
Whence shall help for me arise?
From the Lord shall come mine aid,
Who the Heav�n and earth has made.
He will guide through dangers all,
Will not suffer thee to fall;
He Who safe His people keeps
Slumbers not and never sleeps.
Thy Protector is the Lord,
Shade for thee He will afford;
Neither sun nor moon shall smite,
God shall guard by day and night.
He will ever keep thy soul,
What would harm He will control;
In the home and by the way
He will keep thee day by day.
To the hills I lift mine eyes; Whence shall help for me arise? From the Lord shall come mine aid, Who the Heaven and earth has made. He will guide through dangers all, Will not suffer thee to fall; He Who safe His people keeps Slumbers not and never sleeps. With Passion Sunday coming up, these words are a foreshadow of a great hill outside the gates of Jerusalem called Calvary where our Lord is destined to surrender His life for us. We look to that hill as the Hill of our Salvation that rises above the mundane plains of worldly vanity. Our help comes not from that Hill, but from the Lord of that Hill. There is none other who can save us but the man on that solitary cross on the Hill. He made the Hill, and all else that was ever created. He is our Guiding Light through a dark and restless land. He knows the Way, and, in fact, is the Way – the ONLY Way. He not only knows the Way, but He knows the dangers and pitfalls of that Broad Way against which He counsels us not to tread. Though we, of our own frailty, may stumble along the Way, He will not allow us to finally fall from His sure and certain grasp. Then men sleep in the hours of darkness, there is no darkness with the Lord, and He is watchful of His own at every moment.
Thy Protector is the Lord, Shade for thee He will afford; Neither sun nor moon shall smite, God shall guard by day and night. He will ever keep thy soul, What would harm He will control; In the home and by the way He will keep thee day by day. We have no other Protector than the Lord, and there is none other who is able to defend against every plague and wicked design. Our great Sentinel is on guard duty day and night so that we may sleep in peace. In the heat of the sun, He will shield and cool our tempers; and in the dark night He will be our candle. He has never lost a single soul that His Father has placed in His hands. You may ask, What of the traitor, Judas? True, Judas was lost, but he was never a chosen child of the Father. Judas was likened to many professing Christian who profess with their mouths, but deny Christ by their thoughts and actions. Though the billows of the sea threaten, He will not allow them to swamp our bark. It is by the power of His powerful, outstretched Arm that He saves us and secures our passage on the sea of life.
+Jerry Ogles
The Sermon and Collect Devotion – Fifth Sunday in Lent- Passion Sunday
THE CROSS
“But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” (Hebrews 9:11-12*)
Judaism has its Day of Atonement, and the Christian Faith has its Day of Redemption. Judaism has its High Priest, and the Church has its High Priest in the Lord Jesus Christ. The difference is this: the High Priest of the Jews no longer exists, but that High Priest of the Church rules in glory. In Him, we have the true Day of Atonement certain.
In the Collect, we observe in our prayer, that our High Priest observes us in mercy and grace, and that we are governed and preserved forevermore by His Sovereign grace – both in body and soul. Christ made that certain on the cross at Calvary. Looking from the vantage point of the cross, our Lord looked down upon those who ridiculed and scorned, and those who stood pitifully at the foot of the cross such as His mother and John, the Apostle of Love. But He not only looked down upon those near at hand, but those throughout the centuries future - to you and me. He tells us in Isaiah 49:15-16: “Can a woman forget her sucking child, That she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, Yet will I not forget thee. 16Behold, I have graven (CUT) thee upon the palms of my hands; Thy walls are continually before me.”
The High Priest of the Temple sought forgiveness of the sins of the people through a blood sacrifice of animals, but Christ, the High Priest of our Atonement, purchased our redemption at the cost of His own blood sacrificed for us. We are His Tabernacle, and He is our sacrifice – no higher could be offered.
The latter part of today’s Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews assures us that “... they which are called might receive the tpromise of eternal inheritance.” (vs 15)
“As all sacrifices had a double object, that is, to convey the sense of pardon, and at the same time to increase men’s compunction for sin, we may consider that these two objects were present in the sacrifice of Christ. Pardon given without some method of emphasizing guilt might make men think little of sin, but this is wholly prevented by the death of the Son of God, at once our hope and our condemnation.” Melville Scott, THE HARMONY OF THE COLLECTS, EPISTLES, AND GOSPELS.
“He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.” (John 8:47) Herein we learn that we know we are the sheep of the Lord if we hear the voice of the Lord in speaking to our hearts. The Church is a family of God who is our Father, and we must bear the likeness of a child to the parent. The Roman penny was impressed with an image of Caesar. The Christian is impressed with an image of the Son. We follow the Shepherd in faith and righteousness. He knows the Way, and it is His Way that we must follow if we expect good pastures and still waters.
The Old Testament Law and Prophets forever pointed to Christ as our Redeemer by demonstrated our utter failure of possessing any native righteousness. It was, indeed, our school master. But it did not point to a completely new covenant of grace, but to that same promise of a Redeemer made to Abraham back in Genesis.
We find assurance that Abraham was saved in the same fashion as we today are saved – by faith in the promise of a Redeemer to come; while we today look back in faith to the accomplished fact. “Your father, Abraham, rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and was glad.” (John 8:47)
Please note the unchangeability of the Triune God – He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His plan of salvation has not changed from the day of Abraham – in fact all the way back to the Beginning in Genesis 3 – until our own day. The Old Testament is simply a darkened shadow of its fulfillment in the New. Abraham believed in the eternal Christ. “Verily, Verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I Am.” (John 8:58) Herein we see Christ as the great ‘I Am ‘of the Burning bush, and the ‘I am’ of Moses. He is the eternal I Am from Eternity Past to Eternity Future. He is the Eternal Presence at all points of the time scale, but also beyond that created scale of time at the beginning.
There is no remission of sin without the shedding of blood, but only the Blood of the Lamb of God will suffice completely to redeem us.
Do you have that assurance of your blood sacrifice in Christ?
*all scripture quoted is from the King James Version
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:
A recent poll taken by reliable pollster George Barna revealed some startling results for Christians. Of the more than two thousand Americans interviewed, fewer than ten percent said they believe in the Trinity as historically understood and expressed in the Creeds or of orthodox, biblical Christianity. Those who identified as "evangelical" or Bible-believing Christians scored much higher but still only sixty percent claimed to believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, as all Christian denominations have understood the Trinity for centuries.
I don't put much stock in polls, especially political polls which are so easily manipulated to produce the result desired by the pollster. But even if Barna's poll results were off by half, the statistics he reports are staggering. There is something terribly wrong with American religion if a core belief of Christians has suddenly disappeared from the mindset of the majority. It might be worthwhile to consider some reasons for the radical departure from historic Christian teachings
My first source of concern is our Sunday School "system." If it is to be judged by its curricula and the erudition of its graduates, it is fundamentally a total failure. Trips to Disneyworld and pizza "lock-ins" were the focus of many SS classes in a variety of denominations, led by "youth pastors" fresh from seminaries, with little or no pastoral experience. Denominational distinctives were stressed, often at the expense of basic Bible knowledge. One such curriculum, touted as being "conservative" taught children what liturgical colors to use during the church year but also taught that the Bible was written by a committee four hundred years after Christ and that John did not write the Gospel that bears his name.
The modern seminary system has produced a bumper crop of heretics, destined to become denominational "leaders." Young men, fresh from college, are forced to spend four years as monastics (marriage is discouraged at a time of life when most of their peers are seeking spouses or forming potential marriage relationships. And we wonder why the modern Church has such a difficulty with sexuality in the ministry. They are told they cannot graduate unless they pass classes in two dead languages because "the Bible can only be understood in the original Greek and Hebrew." When I was in seminary there was not one class offered in how to write a sermon but the class in "managing parish finances" was required. After graduation, these men are foisted on congregations but have never held a job, balanced a checkbook, or been present at the birth of a baby but are called upon to give spiritual counsel to people twice their age. They know little of liturgical music or the Canon Law of their denomination. They can, however, parse Greek verbs and tell you that Phoebe was the first "ordained minister" of the Church.
I tread on dangerous ground when I tell you that a modern movement very popular in most denominations has undermined Biblical knowledge and the authority of the Scriptures but remains beyond reproach. The doctrine of the Trinity has been deeply abused by the Charismatic Movement with its stress on the third Person of the Triad, often to the neglect of the First Two. Less than a century old, Charismatics have changed the theology of orthodox Christianity, the practice of Sunday worship amongst Protestants, and the acceptance of Dispensationalism by mainline denominations. More than that, Charismatics have introduced the concept that the Bible is subject to "interpretation" and that new "revelations" - equal to Biblical Revelation - are to be received by "the Church." It was reported some time ago by trusted The Living Church magazine that seventy percent of the bishops of the Episcopal Church speak in tongues on a regular basis. This is a theological and social sea-change from the historic Reformed theology of Anglicanism. There are five "conservative" Anglican congregations within driving distance of my house. Four out of the five characterize themselves as Charismatic. The code word for them is "Spirit filled" - the presumption being that the orthodox Reformed are not.
Multifarious Bible versions in use today demand that the individual reader be given the right to "interpret" passages as he sees fit, despite the warning of St. Peter. To suggest otherwise is considered "unscholarly" and "authoritarian." By ignoring the doctrine of Revelation, the Divine preservation of the English Bible, the Trinitarian doctrine of the Bible, and the Faith of the historic Creeds (removed from many modern liturgies) the Church now faces the task of calling back believers to the Faith once held by all the saints. (I John !:1)
Much house-cleaning may be required.
+++++++++++++
+CEM
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 Fifth Sunday in Lent.
The
Collect.
|
|
We beseech thee, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon thy people; that by thy great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore both in body and soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Consider these words from the Collect:
… thy people; … by thy great goodness … may be governed and preserved evermore, both in body and soul …
In the Collect, we acknowledge without God’s great goodness and divine intervention, we cannot be preserved in either body or soul. This is a constant truth through ought the Bible, the New Testament in particular. Without God’s great goodness we simply cannot be preserved. What does asking for God’s great goodness mean for us? It means when we ask we might be governed and thus preserved by His great goodness, we are in effect asking for His Guidance for us, so we can be preserved in both body and soul. We acknowledge God is the ultimate good and is the source of all truth, and we need His Help if we are to succeed. This is very common theme found in the collects for the simple reason that it is truth.
For those who are not perfect[1], following instructions can be hard at times but it must be done nevertheless. And I have found this holds true in all aspects of our lives not just our spiritual aspect. However, in all areas without His Guidance we are truly doomed. We must look to Him for the guidance we need to get through the spiritual and physical turmoils of this life. We must trust in Him and not in our own fallible guidance. I have found at least in my own life that things turn out a lot better if I do what God asks versus what I would rather want to do. What I want to do might be fun at the time, but it is not productive in the long run compared with what God wants for us. We must recognize this and in times of turmoil and in times of success too look to the Holy Ghost for guidance and follow his guidance. He knows more than us what we truly need.
Further to this thought, if we are looking to Him for guidance, then it follows that we then need look to Him for safety. Safety meaning only the safety of our soul, our eternal life. It does not mean safety from dangers to the body here on Earth. Our bodies are still able to be physically harmed, but our souls are safe from eternal damnation, that is what safety truly means. It is a truly more important concept of safety than just that of mere physical safety. It is the assurance that if something was to happen to our physical bodies, that our souls will be untouched and safe from the hands of Satan and that we will be safe in the loving arms of God our heavenly Father.
However. in order to get into heaven one must be perfect. But as we all know as Saint Paul says, all fall short. So how do we get in then? This is quite the accounting dilemma. How do you account us, who are very imperfect creatures as purified and perfect creatures? There is an easy solution for this and that is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Our only means of being accounted as perfect when we come before God is to rely on the sacrifice and intermediary priesthood of His Son, our Savior Jesus Christ to account us as perfect before God on that final day. Christ has replaced the intermediary priesthood of the Jews with himself, our one and only High Intermediary Priest. Your AOC ministers, while officially titled as priests, are not intermediary priests! The day of the intermediary priests have come and gone for us with the Old Testament in the past. We need only Christ, there are no middle men between us and Jesus. He is our Savior, our Leader, our Teacher, our Master, our Example! That is one of the many differences between us and the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church believes we are not good enough to have no middle men and they insert their own middle men of the saints and Mary, which has no basis in scripture. We need no middle-men, we only need our Leader Jesus Christ!
Christ came to succeed the Old Covenant marked by sacrifices of innocent animals; killing off animals in an effort to atone for our sins really did not do the job. Moreover, the Old Covenant had to come first before the New Covenant could appear. God needed to prepare the hearts of the people to accept Jesus, so that is why we had the Old Covenant. Without it, the people could not have accepted Jesus and the Holy Ghost into their hearts.
In the Gospel, Jesus explained to the Pharisees before Abraham had even been conceived, He was. In fact, Jesus was the one who created this Earth, so He has been around since before the beginning of the planet. The Pharisees could or would not grasp in their heads Jesus was who He claimed to be, the Son of God. They chose to try to destroy His ministry rather than follow Him. He was interfering with their comfortable way of living and deceiving the Jewish people. He was a threat to their system. They would not understand His Message, so they opted to try to destroy Him instead. They were so invested in this earth that they could not see the importance of looking ahead and seeing that to follow Jesus would be better for their spiritual future than if they were to persist on their current path of cheating people and following mammon and or Satan.
This is a very common pattern with God’s enemies. Their names and appearances my change, but their inner hearts and souls have not changed over the eons. Their hearts have been blinded by their love of their selves, pride and greed. They cannot see the simple truths we see as followers of God. They do not have the Holy Ghost within them so they cannot understand what we understand. They look down upon us and think we are the ignorant ones, when reality is the other way around.
They cannot, or will not, see that the priceless gift Jesus came to offer us. Jesus came to save our souls and give us eternal life, eternal life starting right then. Not just for the Jews and Israel, but the whole wide world, Jew, Gentile, Greek and all others. Jesus brought salvation and life to the entire world. That was not what the Pharisees were looking so hard for with their magnifying glasses as they examined Torah and The Law. They were looking for what would be only a temporary power, power on this physical plane. This pales in comparison to safety and happiness forever, for all eternity. Pharisees were not big picture people, and as Calvin told Hobbes, We big picture people rarely become historians or Pharisees, I might add. The Pharisees were very obviously not big picture people; they misinterpreted the prophecies of the Messiah. Regardless, even though some people chose to misunderstand the prophecies, He came and He made that one sacrifice, at one time, for all mankind, for all time. 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[2].
Who is Jesus? Our Savior? Indeed. But, more He has been since before the beginning of the world, for He is One with I Am. Through His Actions, we are saved. Do ye likewise:
ACT
Heaven is at the end of an uphill trail. The easy downhill trail does not lead to the summit.
The time is now, not tomorrow. The time has come, indeed. How will you ACT?
It is by our actions we are known.
Be of God - Live of God - Act of God
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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.
Fifth Sunday
in Lent Sermon – Passion Sunday
Now what say ye of our world today? No doubt you will find the unregenerated working to silence all who are born again of the Holy Spirit. A favorite tactic of theirs has been to call us names such as “fundamentalists”, or narrow-minded” or even “the frozen chosen”. Another tactic of the unregenerate has been to restrict the right of free expression in public spaces via government edict, as well as by verbal and physical violence using a two-tiered system of justice— not a Christian, say what you will; if a Christian, go to jail if you speak out for the Godhead or other moral causes. It may be by degrees, that is, “You can speak here at this time, just not at all times”,or it may come in the form of an outright prohibition , such as, “We don’t want you to proclaim this teaching or that from the Bible in public as it may be offensive to some and we will prosecute you if you do” which includes in some cases, speech from the pulpits of Christian churches.
Yet in spite of all their efforts, the Bible makes it rather plain that we are not to compromise, neither are we to negotiate with those who are part of this evil world system. We who are born again of the Holy Spirit are expected to properly discern good from evil and avoid the latter as a matter of faith. The Bible tells us that a daily regime of prayer and Bible reading will open the gates of heaven to us. Our Lord has promised us his assistance in every good word and work as well as to keep us from the power of the evil one. His help is always available to us, and we need only ask in faith believing that he will.
Nevertheless, we will upon occasion face the Devil’s stone-throwers. While those in our Lord’s day attempted to use scripture against him, their modernist counterparts are more interested in condemning the Bible (especially the KJV) for being politically incorrect. For instance, the doctrine of original sin embarrasses them, and on that account, they have sought to set aside the concept of sin, but not their sinful behaviors. So, when they are confronted with a Christian’s witness which does not conform to their understanding of morality and behavior, they will resort to their particular “stone pile” to combat that which offends their sensibilities. As St. Stephen cut to the quick the unregenerate of his day with his inspired message to them, so also are the unregenerated of our time cut to the quick by the word of God spoken to them by one of God’s own (see Acts 7:51-60 and Hebrews 4:12).
Additionally, modern day stone-throwers may come in a variety of forms. The doubter will cast stones of doubt regarding the truth of God in Christ. The denier will cast stones of atheism and agnosticism amongst the flock. The libertine will cast stones of bodily corruption. And regardless of what form they may take, every one of them will cast the stones of blasphemy and division. How in character it would be for them to take the hymn Crown Him with Many Crowns and change it to Stone Him with Many Stones for such has been done since the founding of the Church and will be so until our Lord returns.
One of the many stones that are often hurled at the faithful is the one known as the spirit of Jezebel as set forth in Revelation 2:20-24. In Halley’s Bible Handbook, we find the following description: “Jezebel... may have been a prominent... devotee of Diana, with a gift for leadership who had a following of influential people in the city, and who was attracted to the growing cause of Christianity, attached herself to the Church, militantly insisting... on the right to teach and practice licentious indulgence, claiming inspiration for her teaching. She was called Jezebel because, like... the devilish wife of Ahab... she was introducing the same vile practices into the Christian Church. [While not all the local pastors accepted her teaching, they nevertheless accepted her as a fellow pastor] thinking that she might be a help in winning the whole city to the name of Christ.”
And look at the results of such influence by the Devil. As the church in Thyatira was seduced by this spirit of Jezebel, the same can be said for the church today. The adherents of Jezebel come bearing an attractive message. They offer the lure of greater church membership, more money, and a more pleasurable experience. But their real purpose is meant to encourage a spirit of defiance against the written word of God. While it may appear to be more ecumenical and inclusive, it is nothing more than an access way by which the wicked world system of the Devil may enter and corrupt the church. There is little doubt that it has been successful in this cause. For look at what modern Christianity holds up as their golden calf and before which they bow in reverence— more souls, more money, and more self-aggrandizement . . . Nevertheless, these are but bruises upon the head of the church for Satan intends to use this spirit of Jezebel to knock its members senseless to his plans and purposes. As Delilah betrayed Samson with her beauty, and her wiles lulled him into a false sense of security through earthly pleasures, so Jezebel mystifies the church with her craft and sleight of hand, ever mingling the grace of God with the spirit of deception making the former of none effect and inflicting spiritual harm upon all who fall under her sway. And should any man criticize her, they will be ridiculed and scorned for she has all the appearance of innocence and her works are said to be beneficial.
The Rev. E.M. Bounds once noted that, “The strength of the church lies in its devotion to God. All else is incidental and is not the source of its strength. But in the worldly, popular language, a local church is called strong when its membership is large, and when it has social position and financial resources. A church is thought to be powerful when ability, learning, and eloquence fill the pulpit, and when the pews are filled by fashion, intelligence, money, and influence. An assumption of this kind is worldly to the fullest extent. The local church that defines its strength in this way is on the highway to apostasy.”
The Devil also encourages regenerated Christians to throw stones of condemnation at our own brothers and sisters in Christ when only a compassionate admonition would suffice. We must make sure that our speech is always seasoned with salt, telling the truth to all, but doing so in love. The Bible teaches us that we ought not separate ourselves from true brothers and sisters, and thus break the unity of the church without cause. Still, differences will exist and we must be mindful of them. But to cast a stone is something that carries with it the implication of finality; and many so-to-speak Christians are ready to hurl a stone rather than offer their hand in lifting up one who is simply weak in faith and poor in doctrine, but is otherwise still seeking to know the truth of Christ. We are supposed to help one another not persecute each other. The Devil will provide us with persecution aplenty, so we need not have such as our default response in matters of faith and practice. And we do not have to have the last word, as it were, for that is for our Lord to carry out as our Judge.
And so as we have seen, being properly armed for spiritual warfare ought to include a lesson or two in identifying both friends and foes in Christ. It is often difficult at times to know who is and who is not our side in this fight. Still, we ought to make every effort to discern between the parties so as to avoid the enemy as well as uphold and support the faithful. So the next time you get the call to stone another, cast them the Rock of Christ via the word before you ever cast the stone of condemnation.
Let us pray,
O LORD our God, assist us daily that we might reach out in love to those who are as yet unsaved; that they too might come to know him who is the Rock of our Salvation, and our sure defense, 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 Fifth Sunday in Lent- Passion Sunday
Holy Communion
The Epistle. Hebrews 9:11-15; The Gospel. John 8:46-59
hymns #401, 416, 441
WE beseech thee, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon thy people; that by thy great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore, both in body and 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.
“The Great I AM”
As we approach the end of Lent we can detect a note of urgency in the scripture selections for each Sunday leading up to the greatest event in Christ Jesus earthly ministry. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is coming after three years of earthly ministry.
I am not a numerologist nor do I subscribe to the following of number codes allegedly found in the Bible; but I do find it interesting how various number sequences occur and reoccur time and again in scripture.
Is the average seminary course of study three years, because Jesus ministry was three years? Just wondering. But I digress. Instead let us look at the strong theme that is presented in our gospel reading as well as our epistle reading.
The high priesthood of Christ. The once and for all sacrifice of Christ, the shedding of his blood to seal our redemption, the revelation of truth in spite of the chaos and darkness that surrounded the times of Christ.
The author of the letter to the Hebrews wrote about the ancient and recent history of the Hebrew peoples, who would later be called Jews by way of reference to the two surviving tribes, Judah and Benjamin. From these two tribes come the kingship and the kinship that certifies Christ Jesus both in heritage and from a spiritual sense. Christ is called a high priest of good things to come and yet he is not of the priestly tribe, the Levites. He is from the smallest tribe, Benjamin in the lineage of king David.
11But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;{expand the idea}12Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.{eternal redemption because Christ is not of this world} 13For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? {the perfect lamb of God, the ultimate Passover lamb, without spot or blemish; ie. Sinless} 15And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. {this ties up the whole package} (Hebrews 9:11-15)
With the reading of the passage from Hebrews we get the historical perspective, now we look at the certificate of truth as presented by Christ Jesus himself. In the passage from the 8th chapter of John’s gospel, Jesus is arguing with a group of learned sceptics, who are questioning every aspect of who Jesus says he is.
1. First Christ calls them out for hearing the word of God but essentially not heeding the Word of God. {Christ Jesus being the LOGOS [logos], Word of God}.
2. They try to come back at Christ with the idea that he isn’t a Jew after all, but a half breed Samaritan and that he is possessed with a devil to boot. Jesus retort is that he honors his Father and that they are dishonoring him and the Father. The back and forth argument continues when Jesus states the coming promise of the death of death. [ When Christ comes back from the dead he conquers death].
3. The culmination of the heated discussion comes when the learned sceptics attack Christ on his statement “Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death”.(John 8:51
Essentially they call out Jesus for being
greater than the Patriarch Abraham and the prophets.
Jesus puts the nail into place when he states: “Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58)
Of course this drives the crowd crazy, because Jesus has just declared
that he and God are the same. Remember when Moses was asking God what to
tell the enslaved Hebrews in Egypt who sent him? God tells Moses tell
them “I AM” sent you.
So when Jesus told these men that he was before Abraham, in fact he was I AM, they picked up rocks to stone him, because he was equating himself with God. This was blasphemy in the eyes of those men. Since it was not God’s plan for Jesus to be stoned to death, another miracle happens. “Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.” (John 8:59)
Jesus will later certify his divinity when he returns from the dead three days after being crucified by the Romans. He will present himself to at least five hundred witnesses, people who had seen Jesus before he was crucified, many would over the next decades certify that they indeed saw Jesus alive AFTER his crucifixion.
These are pretty heady times, all of these prophecies are now coming true, the final work of Christ on earth is soon to occur. The once and for all sacrifice for the sins of the world is about to happen, because Jesus obeyed his Father and offered himself up as that pure, sinless sacrifice, the Pascal Lamb.
Let us pray:
WE humbly beseech thee, O Father, mercifully to look upon our infirmities; and, for the glory of thy Name, turn from us all those evils that we most justly have deserved; and grant, that in all our troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy, and evermore serve thee in holiness and pureness of living, to thy honor and glory; through our only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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 honor 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.
Passion Sunday – Fifth Sunday in Lent
Gospel: St. John 8:46-59
Today is called Passion Sunday. During Passion Week, Christians relate the passion of Jesus to his suffering and punishment he took for us on the cross. The prophet Isaiah tells us about the suffering and punishment Jesus took for us in Isaiah chapter 53. Let’s look at a couple of the verses: verse five tells us: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our inequities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed.” and verse seven: “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet He opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”
We are all sinners. Just as St. Paul tells us in Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” When Jesus uttered his last words on the cross: It is finished! The burden of our sin was lifted and we were set free! The good news is that his salvation is free. However, we must accept it! All we have to do is confess and repent our sins, and accept Him as our Lord and Savior and put our faith and trust in Him.
In the Gospel text reading, it is obvious that the passion of Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders of his day were polar opposites. Jesus’s Passion was to preach the Gospel of salvation and save people from their sinful ways.
John 3:17 tells us “God sent his Son into this world not to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved.”
Jesus was also very passionate about carrying out the will of the Father just as John 3:16 tells us “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.” Jesus also was very humble and showed great humility and compassion toward others during his short ministry on Earth, performing miracles, healing the sick and afflicted, and raising people from the dead. Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophesizes of the Old Testament.
It is very clear in the Gospel reading this morning, that the Jewish religious leaders did not want to hear Jesus’s message of humility, repentance and confession. They had their own passion but it wasn’t the passion of God who they said they worshiped. Their passion was power, control, greed, and self-glorification!
Today’s gospel text is the conclusion of the discourse between Jesus and the Jewish Leaders in the Temple court yards during and after the week-long Feast of the Tabernacles. Each night of this festival, an elaborate light celebration took place in the courts of the Temple to symbolize God’s coming down to earth again with the Messiah. In previous conversation in John 8:12, Jesus calls himself that glory and Messiah, proclaiming, “I am the light of the world” thus beginning of Jesus conflict dialogues with these Jewish leaders. They didn’t want to hear a word that Jesus told them as they didn’t think they were sinners as they were the children of Abraham, the chosen people of God! But Jesus tells them in verse 47: “He that is of God heareth God’s word: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.”
In response, the Jews resort to name calling in verse 48: “Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?” This is the worst thing a Jew could say to another Jew. The Samaritans were considered half-breeds because they were of mixed blood and worshipped at a different place and in different ways. The Jews looked upon them as God’s rejects so they despised them and would have nothing to do with them. So how did Jesus respond to this accusation…In John 8:49-50 “Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honor my Father, and ye do dishonor me. 50And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judged.”
Jesus doesn’t mention the Samaritan accusation, because He had no hatred or prejudice toward them. His purpose for coming to this earth was not self-promotion but the salvation of all who believed in Him. Jesus was to honor the Father, not Himself. By trying to disgrace Jesus, these Jews were dishonoring the Father whom they claim to worship as their own. Then in John 8:51 Jesus makes a confusing claim and promise when He says: “Verily, Verily, I say unto you, if a man keeps my saying, he shall never see death.” The words Verily, Verily, I say unto you, always indicate a fundamental fact, an absolute certainty, which Jesus wants to emphasize. Jesus is not saying that those true believing Christians who keep his word won’t ever die. But according to JC Ryle, “the words do mean that they shall not be hurt by the second death, ---that final ruin of the whole man in hell, of which the first death is only a faint type or figure. (Rev 21:8). And they also mean that the sting of the first death shall be removed from the true believing Christian. “Their flesh may fail” (Psalm 73:26) and their bones may suffer pain. (See Psalm 51:8) But the pain of their unpardoned sins shall not crush them down due the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
When Jesus died on the cross, our sins were forgiven (Col. 1:14 and Rom. 3:25). St Paul says “the sting of death is sin” (1 Cor. 15:56). “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 15:57)
Then the Jews respond in John 8:52-53 “Then said the Jews unto Him, now we know that thou has a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets, and thou sayest, if a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 53Art thou greater than our Father Abraham, which is dead? And the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?” Jesus responds in verses 54 and 55: “Jesus answered, if I honor myself, my honor is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55Yet ye have not known Him; but I know Him: and if I should say, I know Him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know Him, and keep his saying.” Once again Jesus tells them he is not seeking his own glory. Whatever earthly glory He might have, was a gift from His Father.
Then Jesus says something mysterious in John 8:56: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.” Here Jesus claims to be the Messiah, the son of God, the second person of the Trinity, the one who thoroughly knows God because he has been with Him from the beginning. He is saying Abraham is my proof of this some 2,000 years before I came. When did Jesus see Abraham? There seems to be 3 different opinions among various Bible Scholars:
(1) Some think, as most of the Fathers and Reformers, that it means, “Abraham rejoiced in the prospect of seeing, at some future time, my day, the day of the Messiah; and by faith he did see it afar off.
(2) However, others think that it means, “Abraham rejoiced when he was told that he should see my day; and he actually has seen it in Paradise, and has been gladdened there in the separate state by the sight.” And
(3) Some think that it means, “Abraham’s great desire and joyful expectation was to see my day, and he actually saw Me when I appeared to him and talked with him on earth.”
According to JC Ryle in his expository thoughts on St John, “not only did Abraham “see” our Lord and talk to Him when He appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre, the night before Sodom was destroyed” (Genesis 18:1), but by faith he looked forward to the day of our Lord’s incarnation yet to come, and as he looked he “was glad”.
In Genesis 18, three men appear to Abraham in the plains of Mamre to tell him that his wife, Sarah will have a son by the same time next year. They also told him about what was going to happen to Sodom and Gomorrah. Genesis 18:1 says that it was “the Lord” who appeared to Abraham. It is also the Lord who speaks in Genesis 18, verses 13, 20, 26, and 33. So, one of the three “men” must have been God Almighty taking on the appearance of a man. (Gen. 18:22) The other two men were angels who later visited Sodom and spoke to Lot (Gen. 19:1) and helped Lot, his wife and two daughters escape from the destruction of Sodom. (Gen. 19:17).
Then the Jews respond to Jesus in verse 57:“Then said the Jews unto Him, Thou are not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?” Why 50? It was the retirement age of the Levite priests. (Num 4:3) Then Jesus responds in verse 58: “Jesus said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am” This is more than a claim by Jesus to have lived at the time of Abraham. It is a direct claim to deity, to be the very God of Abraham.
“I am” is the name God told Moses to give to the Israelites in the Burning Bush in Gen 3:14 as his authority to lead them out of their bondage in Egypt. The Jews knew what “I am” meant so what did they do, they didn’t believe Jesus so they picked up stones to cast at Him, but Jesus Hid himself and went out of the temple, , going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
These Jewish leaders were supposed to be the leaders of God’s people, teachers in His Temple. Something was very wrong. Here they were in the presence of the Messiah, the Hope of Israel, and they did not recognize Him. What is even worse is that they sort of did recognize Him, but rejected Him and wanted to continue with their own false doctrine. They did not accept what Jesus said about them, about life, or about Himself. They deliberately misunderstood Jesus and called Him a liar even when they knew what He was saying was the truth.
Unfortunately, it is not much different today. Some churches and Christians believe that they make themselves right with God by their behavior and their good works. Some of them even want God to grow up and be more open-minded, like they are, and accept everything in human behavior even if it is against God’s Word and Commandments. It is like they want to deliberately misunderstand the Gospel, and, just like the Jewish leaders of Jesus’s time, call God a liar to his face.
C. S. Lewis, renowned Christian Novelist once said, “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing Christianity cannot be is moderately important.” So let us be serious about serious things. It was at the cross that we fell in love with the one who loved us enough to die so that we might live.
It is also at the cross that we regain that passion by reliving the scenes of Jesus’ final weeks. God does not want anyone to perish, but desires everyone come to repentance and enter into a relationship with him through the new birth in Christ. Just as St. Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but Is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
As followers of Christ, our passion for the Savior needs to both drive and define our purpose for living. God has a unique purpose for each of us, and this relates to our different temperaments, abilities, experiences, spiritual gifts, and education. God has made all of us differently…we all have different DNA’s and different abilities and talents. We all can’t be Ministers or Sunday school teachers but we can serve in different capacities. Maybe your service to God is just reading scripture, ushering on Sunday, or just inviting someone to church to hear the word of God.
In closing, I want to share a passage of scripture that St. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians, chapter 4, verses 16-18. “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day, 17For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
This passage provides the context for God’s unique purpose for our lives, and reminds us to develop an eternal perspective so that we will have a passion to give our lives in exchange for the things that God tells us will endure.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Don Fultz+
Rev. David
McMillan
AOC Minister at Large
Alabama
We are Fortunate today to have a sermon from Rev. David McMillian
FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT
Isaiah43:16-21 ;Philippians 3:4b-14;John 12:1-8; Psalm 126
"True Christian Devotion-The Supper at Bethany"
Is this a story of rejection? Or is it a story of reception and deep love for another? It is all of the mentioned. It is almost a week before the Passover, Palm Sunday as well. The scene is set for Holy Week, the week when Jesus did the Passover meal with His disciples. We know it as Holy Communion. Good Friday is also that week. In the light of all of this, we are at a supper with Lazarus, Mary, Martha and the ever unfaithful Judas.
Mary is at the heart of this event. Remember Jesus had just raised Lazarus from the dead in John 11. Here she annoints the feet of Jesus and prepares him for burial vs. 7 "for the day of my burying". In Luke 10:38-42 she sat at His feet.
1. What does it mean to have true Christian devotion? I would say it starts with an understanding of who Jesus is. He is more than a man, although He was a man, but He is God the Son. In Him is life as John says in His Gospel, and His life is the light of men.
"When I Pause the Longest. In the biography of Leonardo da Vinci, Antonio Vallenten tells of a time when the great artist was at work in Milan on his famous painting of the Last Supper. Da Vinci spent many hours meditating in the chapel of the monastery where he was working. The monks resented these "idle periods" and accused the artist of wasting time. But da Vinci defended these periods of reflection by saying, "When I pause the longest, I make the most telling strokes with my brush." sermons@sermons.com - Robert A. Beringer, Turning Points, CSS Publishing Company
How does that work for us? Do we pause to reflect on the Gospels, and the telling of the magnificent acts and words of Jesus so that they may penetrate our hearts and change our actions?
The faster we move the slower we go may be better a better way to say it. Sometimes we have to act quickly as in cleaning the water up we have spilled. But if something or someone is worth reflecting on, then it matters. Someone said that to me the other day. They said their life was moving so fast, that they never took time to hear God's call.
It may be taking time to see the creation of God in the bird feeder and in the spring flowers? It is His creation. We are His creatures and can see so much in the creation, His power and His glory as it says in Romans 1: 20.
2. Martha was an example of a servant, but Mary was an example of a serving servant. Both served. Mary served at the feet of Jesus, and even though the perfume, or ointment was worth a year's of work, it was for Him.
What is His body and His suffering worth to us? As we approach Holy week that is something to think about. She annointed His body with the beauty of the smell of God's love.
Whom do we love? Yes God of course, but do we let things get in the way of that love?
"Anointed should be our Anointed. Has God poured on him the oil of gladness above his fellows, let us pour on him the ointment of our best affections." Matthew Henry
3. Judas let things get in the way---mostly he thought only of himself. At the same time as he was collecting the offerings, he was taking for himself. We are going to have opposition in this life to doing things for God. What are we letting get in the way?
" The gift was no purposeless waste. It was in reality an embalming of his body for burial." Charles Erdman
As I was outside looking at the flowers coming up, the tulips had a ring of poison ivy around it. I pulled out the poison ivy very carefully with gloves. Evil is present in our lives and in our families. We do well to root it out with care.
Vs. 9 talks about the people coming to see Lazarus as well as Jesus. Because of that "the chief priests took counsel that they might put Lazarus also to death." Vs 11 sums it up for us all, "Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed in Jesus."
Erdman asks, "Is it strange that witnesses for Christ are hated by His enemies today?"
Conclusion- As I thought about this account of the spikenard and the perfume that filled the house, it hit me that the body of Jesus was anointed. This story is so human, and it makes Jesus as a man so real to us. His body is anointed. We too should be anointed to share His life, His words and His love with others that they may see it, and smell it too just as that house in Bethany smelled so lovely with the perfume that was at the feet of Jesus.
Rev. David McMillan
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:
Charles Lewis Jr. - is being deployed to the Middle East for April - September, 2025 - safety and successful mission - Air Force
The Rev. Stephen Cooper – He is transitioning home from the Hospital for Recovery
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 Successful onto Radiation treatment and Chemotherapy
Malou – Cancer
Jim Kniffen – Antibiotic treatment is completed and praise the Lord effective – Sepsis Gone
Daniel Sparks – following Surgery Heart Ablation symptoms – fatigue, physical exhaustion, brain fog
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.
Keep Praying for the following:
Shamu, Mike, 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, Leslie,
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