250608 AOC Sunnday Report
Anglican Orthodox Churchsm
Worldwide Communion
Whitsunday - Pentecost
June 8, 2025 - Sunday Report
Pentecost 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 181-182
The Collect for Pentecost Sunday
The Epistle for Pentecost Sunday. Acts ii. 1.
WHEN the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilæans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judæa, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
The Gospel for Pentecost Sunday. St. John xiv. 15.
JESUS said unto his disciples, If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do.
On Point
Someone asked, where do the quotes come from? The answer is from the people who uttered them. But, how did you find them? Oh, that.
Some from Bishop Jerry, others from Rev. Geordie and many from Rev Bryan Dabney and a few from other places.
Rev. Geordie Menzies-Grierson – England (above)
Points to Ponder:
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy
name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake.
Psalm 79:9
Every way of man is right in his own eyes: but the
LORD pondereth the hearts.
Proverbs 21:2
Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare
it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattereth Israel will gather him,
and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.
Jeremiah 31:10
O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak
good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good
man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an
evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto
you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof
in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy
words thou shalt be condemned.
St. Matthew 12:34-37
I have the privilege of being one of Christ’s ambassadors. In his name I can offer eternal life to any man, woman, or child who is willing to have it. In his name I do offer pardon, peace, grace, glory, to any son or daughter of Adam who reads this paper. I dare not offer that person worldly prosperity as a part and parcel of the gospel. I dare not offer him long life, an increased income, and freedom from pain. I dare not promise the man who takes up the cross and follows Christ, that in the following he shall never meet with a storm.... If you desire to serve Christ and be saved, I entreat you to take the Lord on his own terms. Make up your mind to meet with your share of crosses and sorrows, and then you will not be surprised. For want of understanding this, many seem to run well for a season, and
then turn back in disgust, and are cast away. If you profess to be a child of God, leave to the Lord Jesus to sanctify you in his own way. Rest satisfied that he never makes any mistakes. Be sure that he does all things well. The winds may howl around you, and the waters swell. But fear not, “He is leading you by the right way, that he may bring you to a city of habitation” (Psalm 107:7).
The Most Rev. J. C. Ryle
We may often walk
through the valley of shadows, but remember, dear believer, that God is
sovereignly guiding our steps toward a glorious end! We may rest assured that
even the harshest providences are part of God's plan, working towards a good
that we may not yet see.
John Flavel
Samuel Rutherford
The Rev. Matthew Henry
The world will always find cause to condemn the people of God and to kill the prophets. Either they are too pious, or they lack piety; either they are too hot, or they are too cold; either they are too bold, or not bold enough; either they are too spiritual, or not spiritual enough. If we are the Children of Wisdom, we shall have ears that hear and know. We dare not stand on the sidelines jeering, but become active responders to the pipe. "The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. 5The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back." (Isaiah 50:4-5) Are we rebellious children jeering those who labor, or are we those who, taking to the plow, never cast an eye right, left, or back, but plow a straight row for Christ? (Luke 9:62).
The Most Rev. Jerry L. Ogles
.png)
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
From the Providence and Grace Series: Nicodemus
Click link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs5GFnNDeMs
From the Names and Titles of our Lord Jesus Christ Series:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMk5svdEw6M
Sermon Summary for WhitSunday
“WHEN the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” (Acts 2:1)
The Collect.
O GOD, who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
Today’s Prayer and texts relate to the mission and duty of the Church. The day itself, Whitsunday, is a foundational marker for the beginning of a worldwide ministry of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Across the dark silence of the 400 years of Heaven’s counsel from the last utterance of the prophets until the coming of John the Baptist, the people suffered without direction. The silence was deafening, but it was intended, I believe, to serve as a stark contrast to the coming of the Light of Life in Christ and His coming.
Christ is the Light of the World, and that Light continues unabated in the agency of the Holy Ghost and its constant fellowship with all of faith.
Our Prayer of Collect beseeches God to grant us the Spirit of right judgment in all things. Of course, righteous judgment comes only from the word of God. Whatsoever God deems righteous, is righteous, and that which God declares to be sin, is sin.
The full mission of the Church may be summed up in this first line – they were all gathered together with one accord. That is the mission summary of the church – to gather regularly and to be in one accord in the spirit of God. The Mind and will of God is not divisible – it is One Mind and One Will. If the Church is gathered in one accord, how can divisions arise? If we have taken upon us the mind that was in Christ, is Christ divided against Himself? Never! So divisions and contentions can only occur when interests and ambitions outside that will occur among members of the Church.
Love, too, is not divisible. We of the Church are to love the things that God loves and despise those things that He declares evil and hateful. Pity disagreements arise of carpet and curtain choices, over finance, and jealousies of positions. Do we believe those could in any way be inspired by Godly affections?
There is a silent force at work in the Church that is sent to us as a blessing of God – the Holy Ghost. In our Epistle text, it is described as a mighty rushing wind. The result of this wind was the gift of speaking in such a manner that hearers of all different nationalities could understand in their own native language. Though the speaker may have spoken in a language (tongue) unknown by the hearers, they nonetheless understood his utterances in their own language. This was truly a miracle of undeniable inspiration of the Holy Ghost. This speaking in tongues was nothing similar to the babbling nonsense that some churches today refer to as speaking in tongues. Some who call themselves ‘pentecostal’ deny the very miracle of Pentecost in forcing a major difference in the miracle of tongues from that event of Pentecost described.
Why was this gift given and for what period of duration was it granted? It was granted the early Apostolic Church for the purpose of making the Gospel available to all nations and tongues. With only the native tongues of the apostles, that would not have been possible; but now, they could go into all nations preaching and teaching the Gospel. The gift of tongues ceased with the cessation of the church’s expansion into all remote parts of the then world. Tongues gave strong evidence of the miraculous power of God to communicate with all manner of men. If I went to China and spoke so that all could understand, that would be a proven miracle to the people. But if I spoke in some gibberish that neither I nor the people to whom I spoke, understood, would that be a miracle. or mark me as a fool in their eyes?
The duty and mission of the Church is to execute the Will and Mind of God in propagating the Gospel with reverence and humility. In order to accomplish this important objective, is that we in the Church are One with the Mind of Christ as He is One with the Mind of the Father. If we are all agreed in that One, how can conflicts arise of such pettiness as we see in the Church today. God demands reverence! Should our worship not be reverential? Our music should be of a reverent nature that extols the blessings and nature of God, not to the glory of some artist who seeks the applause of the congregants. And the Word must be preached in reverence and without compromise.
Though our Epistle addresses the nature of the Church and its early Apostolic beginnings, the Gospel addresses the nature of Love that should identify the disciples of Christ. Christ gave no new Commandment but one – that we love one another. That love proves our Christian testimony if it is genuine and true. “34A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:34-35) As we have mentioned many times before, love commends us to God and enables us to obey the Commandments of God. It is a mark of distinction between the Church and the world. Christ again emphasizes the oneness of the Church with the that love evidenced in obedience to the Commandments of God.
Please observe that while Christ commends the ministry of the Holy Ghost as Comforter, the Comforter Himself, being one with God, will not speak of Himself but will guide, direct and bring to our remembrance all things written of Christ in His word. The word is the personification of Christ. The Holy Spirit forever points to Christ and Him crucified, buried and risen from the dead.
Of course the first Comforter is Christ – the Second, the Holy Ghost. The world cannot receive the Second Comforter because it has rejected the First Comforter.
Only those upon whose cheeks the wind blows can know that the wind is blowing. Others cannot feel the wind of the Holy Spirit if they have not known the One by whom the Holy Spirit has come. The winds of the Spirit cannot reach those who stand not upon the solid Rock of Christ.
The Church loves that which the world loves not. It is a complete reversal of natures. Merch and judgment embrace together in the Church, but the world hates both. Power, greed, pride, and oppression are fruits of the world. Love, joy, compassion, and justice are emblems of the true Church. Not all who wear the apparel of the Church are sincere believers. They love the world more than the Lord, so, they bring the world and its unseemly
orrupted worship and worldly music into the Holy Place.
Church sees what the world cannot see, it feels what the world cannot feel, and it loves that which the world is incapable of loving. The Church alone knows that peace that surpasses all understanding. It is that ‘peace of love’ that is the best indicator of our Oneness in Christ. Anything that disrupts that peace is not of God, but some other.
In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen.
† Jerry Ogles
Charles Morley
Bishop of Alabama
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
We are always happy to get the instruction and devotions that Bp Morley is giving to us. We hope you enjoy the following:
Pilate said to him, "What is truth?"
There is a not-so-old Russian saying: "There is no truth in Pravda, and no news in Isvestia." Pravda is the old Soviet national newspaper and Isvestia the news service which supplied the stories in the daily paper. It was a sarcastic (but true) play on words, Pravda meaning "news" and Isvestia meaning "truth." No Russian believed the paper to be reliable and everyone knew it was a propaganda tool of the Soviet regime.
I just read a headline in a so-called Christian online magazine stating " Christian Minister Arrested for Holding Public Prayer Service." Shocked at the suggestion, I read further to discover the headline totally false. The minister had organized a demonstration inside the Senate building where such events are illegal. Having been asked several times to disperse, the demonstrators refused but were eventually dispersed by police, having been asked repeatedly to disperse peacefully, a situation not dissimilar to the "insurrection of Jan. 6th" as it has come to be known. The headline implied that some Christians had been arrested for praying in public. That was patently FALSE. They were dispersed for illegal assembly on government property and their "leader" arrested for refusing a lawful order of the authorities. One can only wonder about the motivation of a Christian news source to purposefully misrepresent the actions of the police, and the actions of a so-called Christian organization for the sake of an attention-getting headline.
It likewise reported briefly in the network media that Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal had recently made a visit to the Ukraine in the interest of "peace talks." Nothing was reported about the results of their efforts or the nature of the talks themselves. It sounded like the US government was taking a personal interest in putting an end to the dreadful, more than three year conflict, presumably with the approval of the American people and our President. Nothing could be further from the truth. The men, respected and powerful representatives of the State, actually urged Zelenskyy to intensify the conduct of the war, which he subsequently did - attacking Russia internally with drone strikes and border incursions. They assured Zelenskyy that he had the support of the US Congress and the European super-powers, contrary to the express desires of President Trump and the majority of the American electorate. The actions of these two Congressmen could be considered treasonous by some, but the network media reported nothing of their actions and was silent.
It has become almost impossible for Christians to rely on ANY source for news that is unbiased and "true." Even churches and entire denominations have become politicized and will often embrace secular ideals which are contrary to their own doctrine and history. This can be seen in the quiet takeover of the major Protestant denominations in America by the LGBTQ lobby, preceded by the acceptance of these denominations of abortion on demand, and following the churches' promotion of "women's rights" and homosexuality. The "Church" has lost both its authority and integrity. There was a time not long ago when the (then) Protestant Episcopal Church adopted a resolution in Convention condemning abortion for any reason other than protecting the lives of mother and baby. A recent Convention defended the right of women to abortion on demand, a complete reversal on a vital moral issue.
Little wonder the nation is in the condition in which it finds itself at present. A nation cannot prosper with constant doubt and fear of deep deception on the part of politicians, the media, teachers, scientists, the clergy, the police. Those institutions which were once considered sacrosanct are no longer sources for absolutes. TV commercials even urge us to "Ask your doctor" to be sure you're getting the right medication for your condition - suggesting that he/she might not be giving you the right one or the best available. The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has compounded the problem a hundredfold.
Up until 1901 - not terribly long ago in Church history, English speaking Protestants had one Bible. Regardless of denomination we all had the same "God language" and even if we disagreed strongly, we argued from the same text. Along came, in short order, multifarious translations, versions, and paraphrases, and the Authorized or King James Version was passed over as "outdated," "inaccurate," "antiquated" and basically hard to understand. The new and improved versions were mass marketed by major book publishers and sold like hotcakes, introducing the "study Bible," the Bible on tape, and even Bible with specific minister's notes, such as the Schofield Bible, Dake's Bible, and the Falwell Bible. New Bibles brought changes in the liturgies of churches, and Christians soon found themselves with diverse vocabularies in worship. Changes in our Bibles ultimately resulted in changes in our theologies as well. There are more Bibles in print than ever before in the history of the world - but one must wonder if Bible knowledge has likewise increased?
The end result of this process was not an increase in Bible knowledge or even Bible reading, but to place doubt in the mind of the public that, due to different translations, no one Bible held authority or authenticity, or could be relied on for the absolute truth. It was suggested that the Bible could contain errors, depending on the various Greek and Hebrew manuscripts upon which it was based, and that true Bible knowledge depended on knowing the ancient languages "in the originals." Problem is, there are NO originals, in either Greek, Hebrew or Aramaic. In short, the Bible had become Pravda and the Church Isvestia.
Americans like to think of themselves as dynamic "rugged" individualists, making up their own minds, not blindly following the majority for the sake of conformity. Sadly, in matters of religion, rugged individualism can lead to error and disinformation. This is what St. Paul means when he speaks of "another Gospel" and when St. Peter reminds us that no scripture is to be "of private interpretation." There are now over 120 separate denominations in the United States and the number seems to be growing. What will be the end result of such divisions? Are they all preaching the Gospel, the Truth that is in Jesus Christ, or are they serving human purposes for the sake of filthy lucre? As in secular affairs, we must exercise the gift of discernment - to seek out the truth even if many would hide it from us. We must condemn error and deception but rejoice in the Truth. "If ye continue in my Word, then are ye my disciples indeed: and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 7:31-32)
+CEM
Jack Arnold
Bishop of the Diocese of the West – AOC USA
Education and Training Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide
Church of the Faithful Centurion
Bp Jack brings the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together because as is always the case there is a unifying message in the Scripture for this Pentecost Sunday.
Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and is partly contained in the forewords above.
Consider these words from the Collect:
… sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort …
When Jesus left on Ascension Day, we lost a teacher here on earth. I can completely understand how the Apostle’s must have felt on Ascension Day as least year on May 16th 2024, my father, Bishop Hap Arnold ascended into Heaven to join Christ and God and the believers and family who have gone before. I am acutely aware of the pain the Apostles must have faced when they lost their redeemer, teacher, master and savior. We still have Jesus in our memories as Redeemer and Savior; but what to do for understanding and that needed closeness to God? In response to His departure, God sent us the Holy Ghost.
Who is this Holy Ghost and why is he here?
We worship the One True God, a triune God, that is Three in One; Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Most people have no trouble understanding the concept of God the Father, Christians seem to get God the Son, but many seem to have a difficulty with the Holy Ghost, the Third God Guy.
The Holy Ghost has been there since the beginning. He breathed life into the world, yet His actions seemed to be sporadic until Pentecost.
Well, today is Pentecost, the time one normally thinks of the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, the Breath of God, the Comforter. When people do think of Him, they oft think of the actions described in the words of Saint Luke in the Acts of the Apostles. The dancing and speaking in tongues. All that happened so we might understand with the help of the Holy Ghost we might bring the Word to all mankind. It did not happen so we could learn languages with no effort or making random noises. It happened to show that we need the help of the Holy Spirit in order to spread the Good News to all people and nations and that it would not be possible without his assistance.
Bishop Hap Arnold knew this and I believe the reason that he was as successful and impactful as he was in his ministry as he allowed the Holy Ghost to enter into his heart and guide and direct his actions.
As a result of his actions, a lot of people within the AOC Communion have had their lives affected for the better. I believe if we do as Bishop Hap did and accept the Holy Ghost fully into our hearts and guide our actions, then we will prosper and we will be in conduit with God’s Will.
There will of course be efforts to be made to learn the languages of the various peoples, this was just to show that with work and practice and with the Holy Spirit within us, this massive effort is indeed possible. Without the Holy Spirit this would be an impossible mission, but with the assistance of the Holy Ghost this mission is very much possible.
We need the Holy Ghost if we are to follow Christ’s Great Commission. He knew we would need the Holy Ghost if we were to have any success in this endeavor. Because we alone left to our own miserable devices would surely fail in following the Great Commission. However, He also knew He needed to leave if the Holy Ghost were to come and stay, so the Holy Ghost’s coming had to wait until after the Ascension. He had it planned out so the disciples would not be without a direct connection to Him for very long. His Plan as always was perfect and His timing is impeccable.
Another reason we need to have the Holy Ghost within us is to give us the “righteous judgment” the Collect speaks of. This judgment is not the same as God’s final judgment on our performance, but it is a judgment based on Scriptural values, with the Holy Ghost’s help, we can make on our lives and others lives, based on how we see it through the lens of the Holy Ghost and Scripture. It is not to insult people, but to be truthful from the standpoint of Scriptures and be able to say certain behaviors in this world do not line up with Scripture, i.e. homosexuality and abortion. People of this world do not understand what we are doing by our righteous judgment and think that we are wrong for it. Because they do not have the Holy Spirit within them to understand that and are blinded by Satan, they see us as unfairly judging people when that is completely not true.
Using the Holy Ghost for righteous judgment is like when flight instructors are teaching a student, they go by the FAA’s Airmen Certification Standards and if a student busts an altitude variance level or go outside a parameter for a certain maneuver, the instructor has to tell the student of their mistake and that they went outside the standards and then work with them to help stay within the standards and correct their mistakes. This is why God wants us to have the righteous judgement to help point out the errors, not force people into correcting them, but pointing it out for them to correct on their own. We cannot correct peoples mistakes for them, but we can let them know where they are in error so they can rectify it themselves.
The Holy Ghost is also our direct connection to God. When Jesus left, the disciples were distant from God. When they were not near Jesus, they did not do as well as when they were with Him. I can understand how this feels. When I was near my father Bishop Hap Arnold, I felt stronger and strengthened. When I was not near him, I did not feel nearly as strong. We need the Holy Ghost that much is clear, if we are to succeed in the race of life.
God sent the Holy Ghost that the Apostles and us might have that close connection to Him. As with the righteous judgement, the Holy Ghost helps us to align our actions and views with that of Scripture. The Holy Ghost helps us to properly understand and apply Scriptural principles in our own lives. He helps us like the focus feature on a camera to see clearly what God wants us to do. Without Him in our hearts, it is like a blurry, unfocused and unlit image, very dark. We need Him in our hearts to focus our minds, souls and hearts on what we need to do for Him. The people not of God and that don’t have the Holy Spirit within them will never understand the righteous judgement and label it bigotry when that word couldn’t be farther from the truth. Note Peter’s actions after the arrest of Jesus for an example, thrice denying His Lord. The Holy Ghost came so we would have understanding and a direct connection to God, wireless as it were, instead of having to be tethered to Christ. This is how God can always be with us wherever we are.
If we allow the Holy Ghost into our hearts, we will never be far from Him, and He will never be far from us. He will guide us through both good and bad times and He will keep us upright whenever we feel frail and weak and will give us the strength to carry on in tragic times. We have to consciously let Him into our hearts, He will not come uninvited into our hearts. He will be a constant soothing and guiding presence within our hearts, which will let us do much good for Him. But only if we let Him in!
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that He would be leaving, but the Father would send a facilitator; one who whose presence, if we let Him into our hearts, would bring understanding of His Word into those self-same hearts. The Comforter would bring the Love of God into our hearts to let us feel His Love. He will help us understand we are striving to be one with God, with Jesus and with the Holy Ghost. Our love is demonstrated by our actions. Jesus points out those who do not truly love Him will not keep His Commandments. However, if we truly do love him, we must act for Him and by doing so will keep his commandments.
If you think about it, you will recall the second half of the Book of Luke is titled The Acts of the Apostles. It is not the thoughts, the beliefs, the feelings, the meditations, the inner feelings or any other touchy feely thing, it is the ACTS. If you believe, you must act on those beliefs. The Holy Ghost is here to help us know how to act, we will just have to let Him into our hearts, and then ACT. Only by acting can we show that we have faith. Faith without actions is a very hollow faith. I truly believe Bishop Hap exemplified the tagline at the end of our sermons very well “Be of God, Live of God and Act of God.”. Whenever he was faced with an opportunity to ACT, he ACTED. We must do likewise. While Bishop Hap will be missed, we must remember that it is only a temporal separation and that when we finally arrive at Heaven’s Gates, that time will be as of nothing.
We need the help of the Holy Ghost to learn what we are to do, how we are to do it and most of all to do it. Action, not just diction.
Pray for His continual presence in your heart.
Heaven is at the end of an uphill trail. The easy downhill trail does not lead to the summit.
The time is now, not tomorrow. The time has come, indeed. How will you ACT?
It is by our actions we are known.
Be of God - Live of God - Act of God
Bishop Jack Arnold
.jpg)
Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s AOC Vicksburg, Mississippi -
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.
Pentecost Sunday Sermon
Now let us consider the particulars for the coming of God’s Spirit. Prior to our Lord’s ascension, he instructed the disciples not to depart from Jerusalem until they had received the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:4-8). And as they observed the ascension of our Lord, they were also informed by the angels present (Acts 1:11) that as our Lord had so ascended into heaven, in like manner he would return. It was this event which affirmed in their minds that Jesus is of God and that what he had taught them would eventually come to pass. Their eyewitness testimony and their willingness to die rather than to deny that witness is an integral part of the Christian ethos as noted in the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds. And no one who bears the name of Christ can be his while at the same time denying his ascension into heaven as the apostles so witnessed, and which has been recorded within the pages of the Bible.
After their witnessing his ascension, the apostles returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were found continually in the temple praising and blessing God (St. Luke 24:52- 53). They gathered themselves together with other believers and were in prayer and supplication. They also at the urging of the Holy Spirit, selected another disciple from among the brethren who was named Matthias.
Ten days later, on the Feast of Pentecost, God did indeed send them the Holy Ghost as Christ had promised. The Spirit of God came to them with a rushing wind and was followed by the cloven tongues like as of fire that sat upon each of the disciples. As the Rev. Matthew Henry once observed, “These tongues were cloven (divided) to signify that God would divide unto all nations the knowledge of his grace. The tongues were divided, yet they (the disciples) still continued all of one accord, for there may be a sincere unity of affections where yet there is a diversity of expression.” They were, after all, preaching the same message just in different languages.
And so from that first Whitsunday we find that as a result of their discipleship, myriads of regenerated souls joined the body of Christ. That said, they may speak different languages and have differing orders of worship, still if they are in Christ, they will possess the Holy Spirit of God. They will honor and adore the Godhead through their reverent worship, teaching, preaching and living of his word and commandment. And such will be plainly visible to any fellow Christian. While our worship may differ from those of the other denominations of the Christian faith; nevertheless, if we are all holding to the essentials of the faith, we are brothers and sisters in Christ, eternally linked to him and to one another by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost.
No doubt you understand that this coming of the Holy Ghost was a response to the Devil’s mischief at the Tower of Babel as noted in Genesis 11:1-9. For at that time, the LORD broke the ethnic and linguistic unity of mankind in order to restrain the operations of evil in the world. And so as noted in Acts 2:1-11, he began the process of reunifying mortals under the auspices of the Holy Ghost. For it was through the third person of the Trinity that he would build a spiritual unity amongst the various peoples, kindreds and tongues. As St. Luke noted in Acts 2:5, there were in Jerusalem devout Jews from every corner of the known world and they each heard the gospel in their own language. This miraculous act demonstrated God’s power to proclaim to all the world beginning first in Jerusalem his offering of salvation (St. Luke 24:47). And through this action, God made it plainly understood that his word cannot be restrained neither can it be rendered unfruitful. God’s plan and purpose has been to redeem that which was lost, and the gift of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost was an important milestone in that regard.
Now consider what it means to receive this gift of God. First of all, we are regenerated— born again— by his power in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are thus made alive in Christ, having died to this world system (Ephesians 2:1- 10). Now if such does not happen— if we do not die to the things of this world—then those desires for the inordinate things in this life— the lures of the world, the flesh and the devil— will draw us back into a life of sin and degradation. Our Lord said, No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other... (St. Matthew 6:24). We have to choose whom we will serve. If we are born again, then we have chosen to keep to the strait gate and the narrow way of Christ. If not, then we will fall prey to the evil one.
Secondly, if we have received an anointing of the Holy Ghost, we are thus sealed by him (I St. John 2:20-27). Matthew Henry once noted concerning this passage that, “True Christians are anointed ones and are anointed with oil of grace, with gifts and spiritual endowments by the Spirit of grace. The Holy Spirit is compared to oil as well as to fire and water. The effects of this unction [anointing] is a spiritual eye-salve. It enlightens and strengthens the eyes of the understanding. Thereby you know all things concerning Christ and his religion.” And so, by this anointing we have grace sufficient to do those things which God has called on us to do. Via our anointing, we have become soldiers in his army and workers in his harvest. We have not been anointed to live a life of indolence, that is, to be as sloths hanging about waiting for some opportune moment to partake of the benefits of God’s grace. We have been anointed to be like the diligent sower, the vigilant watchman, the persistent prayer warrior, and the faithful steward.
Thirdly, as we have received the baptism of the Holy Ghost we ought to keep in mind that it was not a work of ourselves, or of men, but of God. In Acts 2:17, St. Peter recounted what the LORD had said through the prophet Joel (2:28- 29), I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh. While we are commanded to observe the sacrament of Holy Baptism, it is after all God who furnishes his Spirit, not at our behest, but in accord with his will and purpose. We only receive that one true baptism if we truly believe and accept God’s offering of salvation via the sacrifice of his only begotten Son. Think of all those who have submitted to this sacrament or ordinance who did so not to please God, but to receive the praise of men. If we would truly receive the gift of the Holy Spirit of God, then we must have a heart dedicated to obedience to Christ.
And lastly, the Holy Ghost guides us into all truth (St. John 16:13); empowers our witness on his behalf (Micah 3:8); and sanctifies us in our walk and work (II Thessalonians 2:13-14). You cannot please God except by living in accordance with his word and commandment. And you will not get to “squareone” with the Godhead apart from the divine assistance of the Holy Ghost. Therefore, all who are not truly in accord with Christ’s word and commandment will not be able to hide behind their so-to-speak “good intentions” if such are contrary to the expressed will of God as found within the pages of Scripture (see Romans 1:18-32). Be not partakers with them in iniquity.
So at Pentecost, the church received the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is a gift of inestimable value and one that is confined solely to those who possess a true and lively faith in Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord and who are indeed obedient to his will. If you are truly of the faith, then the Holy Ghost will empower your witness and your lives in God’s service. May God so fill each of you and seal you for his glory and our eternal good.
Let us pray,
Father, we pray that thou wouldst fill us with thy most holy Spirit as you did the apostles of old; that we might ever proclaim the good news of salvation to those who are as yet mired in sin; that they too might come to accept Christ Jesus as their Saviour, and be numbered with thy saints in glory; for this we ask in that name which is above every name, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Have a blessed
week,
Bryan+
Roy
Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor
Saint Paul's Anglican
Church
Diocese of the Midwest Anglican
Orthodox Church
Suffragan Bishop of the AOC
Whitsunday Sermon
Morning Prayer
Psalm 145: First lesson: Joel 2:28-32; Second lesson: Romans 8:1-11
O GOD, who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
This brief passage from the minor prophet Joel is one of the most direct foreshadowing accounts to the Day of Pentecost. It is interesting that we find a similar passage in Malachi that speaks to the first coming (Advent) of the Messiah. I find that interesting that God uses minor prophets to back up what the major prophets write about, just so we understand the full import of those prophecies. Now let us listen to what Joel has to say:
28And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. 30And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. 32And
it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.
The first two verses speak to the universal outpouring of the Holy Spirit, ‘...I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh...’ This is different from the multiply encounters with the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. In that testimony we read where individual or a times small groups were indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Aaron, Moses, Miriam, the prophets who walked with Elijah, etc.
But on the whole, generally there was not a universal infusing or outpouring the Spirit on a general population. That is until we come to the account described in the book of Acts. The most compelling part of this scripture; this outpouring of the Holy Spirit will no longer be ethnic in nature. It will be universal, as in the catholic church, (universal church).
Here we have the faithful as they wait in Jerusalem, as instructed by the recently ascended Christ, suddenly ‘baptized’ by the Holy Spirit. This event, now known as the Day of Pentecost was unprecedented as revealed by the remarks made by those who observed the event. Many who were baptized by the Holy Spirit that day were converts to Judaism, they were Gentile, not Jews by birth.
There were others who observed what was happening, who had not experienced the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who would accused the believer of being drunk. Peter denies that accusation by indicating the early hour of the day, “...it is the 3rd hour...’ (9 a.m.)
Another interesting fact, the outpouring was not gender specific. Men and women, sons and daughters, old and young...they all ‘...in those days...’ will have the Spirit poured out upon them.
Verses 30 &31 seem to be out of chronological order. These two verses can be interpreted as to being about Christ recent crucifixion. There were a number of heavenly signs observed, there was an earthquake noted on the day of Christ death. The sky was dark for three hours. The blood and water refer to His piercing after His death, where blood and water flowed from his side. There was an eclipse that Friday, it was a “blood” moon, orange/red in color as observed as the eclipse occurred shortly after the moon rose.
Then in verse 32 there is expressed the plan of salvation is explained. ‘...whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be delivered.’ And to finish off the thought... ‘...and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call...’ This is proof positive that for all time, faith, has been the operating aspect of salvation. We see that expressed in the letter to the Hebrews in chapter 11:1,3-9 and continuing throughout the chapter. {“...by faith..”}
Let us now look at the passage of scripture from the letter to the Romans.
1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
In these eleven verses we find how to know if someone is in Christ. The very nature of the flesh will be changed if you are in Christ. The Spirit, (now poured out on all believers) is a witness to our sinful nature in the law and will show righteousness of the law being fulfilled in us...how?, by not walking after the flesh, but by walking after the Spirit. We are to be spiritually minded, it is life and peace.
Being carnal minded puts us against God, by being in the flesh, that is carnally minded we cannot please God. But if you are not carnally minded, because you are in the Spirit, your body should be dead because of sin. But the Spirit is life, the very same Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead, he will quicken you by his Spirit...that dwells in you.
Paul, in writing this ‘list’ of what to look for in believers and non-believers, gives us a way to examine our spiritual lives in light of the Gospel message. This was after the fact of Pentecost, so the Holy Spirit is now upon all believers, not just the believing Jews. Peter will be the first to record this when he witnesses Cornelius and other gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit.
Paul reaffirms this concept in this passage from 8th chapter of Romans. Here Paul is writing to Roman, Greek, and other gentile believers, instructing them in the understanding of what has happened, first in Jerusalem and then the rest of the known world.
By this accounting we as modern day believers can find comfort in the words of St. Paul as he expresses the real difference between the Old and New Testament. If you spend time reading and rereading these first eleven verses of chapter eight of Romans you can find comfort in the finished work of the Lord. Jesus died once and for all on the Cross, to raise us from our dead selves to new life. He causes us by the Holy Spirit to seek him, we should desire the Word, we should read the Word, we should live the Word; Daily.
Let us pray:
O God, who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen
O Lord Jesus Christ, who saidst unto thine Apostles, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; Regard not our sins, but the faith of thy Church; and grant to it that peace and unity which is according to thy will, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen
+Roy Morales-Kuhn
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:
Archie – Stroke - hospitalization
Eloise – Breathing issues -hospitalization
Thomas Broome – hospital – fall and infectious disease
Wayne McMaster - family who are mourning his passing
Roseanne - surgery at an advanced age
Jeff Maraman - at the fire academy in Arkansas.
Bobby Bryan, - suffering with cancer and is on chemo-therapy.
Missy Koestler Arnold - mourning the passing of her mother, Joan Koestler.
Lydia Collins - rectal cancer.
Marilee – Mastectomy Update – second surgery successful – chemo begun
James Cavanah – health issues, new medication tolerance – starting to work keep praying
Sophie – Sever bipolar issues, drug use and difficulty with parents, pray for her parents, Gary & Betsy
Colin and daughter, Lori Beall – cancer
Toni- Breast Cancer- Surgery went well, keep praying for successful recovery treatment-praise god
Donna – Breast Cancer- Surgery Successful onto Immunology and Chemotherapy Tx - perseverence
Malou – Cancer
For the government and people of South Korea that God will protect them from the forces of Communism.
For All the People effected by inclement weather around the US
Keep Praying for the following:
Shamu-health issues, Mike, Jim, Dotty, Jan Jessup-neuro dementia, Josh Morley-seizures,
Jennifer, AOC USA, AOC Missions, Zach, Jess, Luke, Jacquie, Harper-IBS , Jim Sevier- God’s
Peace, Linda –
multiple myeloma, Colin, Lowery, Robert, Donna-chemotherapy,
Eddie, Aleyda-heart and bp issues, Leslie, Daniel, Jim-TBI issues, Alicia-caregiver
.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment