260913 AOC Sunday Report
Worldwide Communion
Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity
September 6, 2026
Sunday Report
Fifteenth Sunday after Trinty
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 in the Book of Common Prayer page 210-211.
The Collect for the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Epistle for Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity. Galatians vi. 11
YE see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand. As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is cruci-fied unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
The Gospel for Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity. St. Matthew. vi. 24.
NO man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment? Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto the measure of his life? And why are ye anxious concerning raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
On Point: From The Family Altar by F.W. Herzberger
"My times are in thy hand." PSALM 31:15.
In these evil-boding days it is especially comforting to lift up our eyes to our heavenly Father and to confess with the Psalmist: "My times are in Thy hand !" For what evil can befall us if our God and Father in heaven has all the days and hours of our life in His almighty and loving hand? He then directs and governs all things for us, blesses our work, sustains us in all trials, and when He sends us afflictions, He does so for our good. "I know the thoughts that \ think toward you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end," He assures us by the mouth of His holy prophet Jeremiah. And because that is so, He also has all the circumstances of our dying hour in His blessed hand. No matter when or where or how death comes to us, we shall be upheld and saved by His almighty hand from which nothing, nothing can pluck us. 0 what deep and heart-satisfying comfort this is: "My times are in Thy hand!" May God in His mercy help us that we may never forget this consoling truth and also the sacred obligation it involves. Because our times are God's times, they constitute a sacred trust. We shall have to give an account to God of the manner in which we employ our days. Let us not waste them in mere pleasure-seeking, nor idle them away, nor misuse them for selfish and miserly purposes, but let us faithfully redeem the time by ever doing our Father's will, seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and by deeds of helpful love gathering for ourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust cannot corrupt and where no thieves break through and steal. Every new day which He gives us is also in His hand. May we use it for His Glory and our neighbors lasting good!
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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
Blog:
https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com
Bishop Ogles
You Tube Channel
that is free to subscribe: all of his videos at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuW3bgXBJFomPB5mZ4Oigxg
Wednesday Video
Devotional:
Food for Thought: I Thirst!
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/09/youtube-video-player_0338977085.html
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGwoiozMi2E
Thursday Video Devotional: The Indomitable Love of a Father
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/09/youtube-video-player_01963544832.html
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKieAVT5u4k
~ September 14~
“They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Psalm 14:3)
“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 18And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” (1 Peter 4:17-18)
It is not in the nature of God Almighty to ingratiate Himself to His Creatures. He is not one to give false hope or to allow men to perish for lack of warning. Many consider my recent devotions to be negative, and so they are. But negative warnings are the fabric of hope in the very thing that they warn against. It is impossible for a minister of God to dwell on the very positive in a world that is more and more turning its back on its Maker. You will not find an overwhelming measure of ‘positive thinking’ in the Ten Commandments of God. Please remember that eight of the Ten Commandments are negative in nature - overwhelmingly more ‘not’s’ than positive statements. The reason is that man’s mind is bent toward evil by his very nature. Curbs of that evil inclination are incorporated - not only in the Moral law of God - but also in His prophetic warnings.
What is positive in the warnings of God concerning “the falling away” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) of His people from the “Way, the Truth and the Life?” (John 14:6) Even the negative warnings of God present a great hope in the solution God provides - a return to Holy Living and Holy Obedience. The latter is the solution to the awful effects and impact of the former case of ‘falling away.’
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.” (1 Timothy 4:1-2) In today’s church, positive thinking precludes God’s more serious warnings and judgments.
Do we believe the purpose of the minister of God is to speak soft words and build up our self-esteem? If we feel that way, we have failed to grasp the dire counsels of God and His warnings against heeding the counsel of our fleshly desires and the voice of the dark angels of our world. There are innumerable cases of pastors who do just that. Need we assent to our own destruction by the delusions of self-righteousness presented by these false prophets? Suppose we removed the monetary reward from these seekers of filthy lucre - would they continue then in their preaching of easy-believism? The thought is almost humorous were it not so many souls being deceived thereby.
The
prophet, Jeremiah (and I am not Jeremiah, except in name only), began his
ministry preaching repentance to the people, but when they would not hear him,
his preaching turned to the judgment of God in sending His
people into bondage and exile. “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old
paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your
souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” (Jeremiah 6:16) During a
time of so great a ‘falling away’ among our members, should we do less
than follow the lead of Jeremiah and his Godly counsel? At a time in which
those things that God calls grievous sins such as homosexuality, promiscuity,
drug abuse, murders on the streets, abortion, etc. are now called good by the
church, should we simply say, “Well, I do not dare be negative in my preaching
- I will simply gloss over those grievous sins and the terrible judgment of God
that they invoke and preach on positive matters of hope where there can be no hope?”
“To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it. 11Therefore I am full of the fury of the Lord; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days. 12And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord. 13For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.” (Jeremiah 6:10-13) It is my duty and sworn obligation to preach judgment where God counsels, and the hope of restoration that those warnings entail.
For those with itching ears to hear a false Gospel, the television airwaves are filled with those; but the hope of the Gospel is love and obedience of God, and He will heal the land therewith. But no lives were ever changed by a false and carnal Gospel. It is not the world, the Lord condemns for it is already condemned, but the Church and His people in their grievous apostasy from His Word.
Bishop Jerry Ogles – Daily Devotional
Roy Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor
Saint Paul's Anglican Church - Diocese of the Midwest Anglican Orthodox Church -Suffragan Bishop of the AOC
Morning Prayer – Fiftheenth Sunday after trinity
Psalm 26; First lesson: Ecclesiastes 5:8-20; Second lesson: 1 Timothy 6:1-10
KEEP we beseech thee, O Lord, thy Church with thy perpetual mercy; and, because the frailty of man without thee cannot but fall, keep us ever by thy help from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymns: 568 569 565
“It is not about wealth”
As we contemplate the three portions of scripture that are set aside for this the 15th Sunday after Trinity, let us look at what seems to be a very strong message point.
It is not about having wealth, food, shelter, and all earthly goods.
We are looking at what Jesus so simply focused on when he was asked by a wealthy young man concerning the fellow’s salvation. Jesus knew his heart. The wealthy young fellow was smitten, taken, consumed by his own personal wealth. He worshipped his wealth.
Jesus told him to sell everything and give it to the poor and follow Him. The young man walks away dejected. He just couldn’t give up the temporal security of his wealth, he literally was in love with his wealth. It totally consumed him. He was worshiping his wealth.
Please notice, Jesus was not asking him to not be wealthy, he was asking him to replace his idol of wealth with the true God, the God of salvation and peace. Many times this passage of scripture is used to excoriate the rich. That is not what Christ is teaching. Wealth is not the issue, letting that wealth consume you to the point of idolatry is the issue.
Let’s break this down into meaningful portions of understanding.
1. Reach out to the LORD. Seek his face and enjoy his blessing.
8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. 9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. (Psalm 34:8-9)
We can experience peace knowing that the LORD listens to us. We know that we cry out to OUR Lord and God, he will hear us. We must approach him with a humble and subdued heart. We must understand that it is he who will save us. What does the phrase :..for there is no want to them that fear him” mean? If we put our trust in God then he will provide. He knows what we need for sustaining everyday life. Shouldn’t we trust in him? 15The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. 16The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 17The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
18The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. ….
22The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate. (Psalm 34:15-18, 22) Wow. Promise after promise after promise. All coming back to knowing God will redeem us, he will protect us, he will save us.
1I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. 3O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. 4I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. 6This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. 7The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. (Psalm 34: 1-7)
2. Now, after reflecting on the promises of salvation, peace, and praising God, we now look at the real worthlessness of relying on the wealth as understood by the secular world. The utter lack of security, well-being, and peace that is offered by any and all wealth of this world. In reality they know that there really isn’t any safety in wealth. Yes it can provide comfort and ease daily. But it can also be a great burden. There are always people lurking about trying to find ways of getting some or all of that wealth away from them and into the pockets of the thieves and swindlers. 10He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. 11When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes? (Ecclesiastes 5:10-11)
The author of the book of Ecclesiastes sure understood the concept of a never-ending appetite for more. You get more, you want more, you desire more, but it all is for naught.
13There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. 14But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. 15As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. 16And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
Verse 15 is very much reflected in the committal prayers of the burial service found in the Book of Common Prayer:
We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
If we can understand that no amount of wealth or prestige can save us from death, then we can turn back to the Lord and seek His face and salvation. Now understanding that precept, we must also understand that God does not condemn those who have wealth, those who have worked to gain much, those who have wisely invested to increase their wealth. It is how the wealthy use this wealth and more importantly do not let wealth stand in the way of praising God...from whom all blessing flow.
Read what the passage from Ecclesiastes, Chapter Five, notes about that: 18Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. 19Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God. 20For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
These next two verses also deal with how a wealth person uses or serves others with their wealth. The wealth of the earth, the blessing of the earth as provided by God are for the good (profit) of all, even those who occupy the highest offices or positions of power and wealth.
8If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they. 9Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field. (Ecc. 5:9-10)
3. Let us conclude our study with a brief foray into the first letter to Timothy. Paul is explaining to Timothy about the burdens of being wealthy. He paraphrases the Ecclesiastes 5:15 “...for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out...” Then he goes on to explain what Jesus had pointed out when the rich young man (ruler) asked him how to get to heaven. Paul’s distillation of Jesus lesson is found in the 10th verse of 1 Timothy 6:10: “...for the love of money is the root of all evil: which some have coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows...”
6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (Ecc. 5:6-10)
Communists, socialist, and other pseudo-economist have misquoted this passage many times.
“For [ ] money is the root of all evil.” It isn’t money that is the root of all evil, it is the love of money. Oddly enough, the communist and socialist are in fact lusting after the wealth of the rich, so they in fact are ‘loving money; thus exhibiting the root of all evil’. As a matter of fact the above ideologies break the 8th and 10th Commandments every time they espouse the communist/socialist creed. They advocate stealing (the wealth of the capitalist) and they covet the wealth of the capitalist. Makes sense when you read about where the founders of this hellish economic system came up with this. Marx and Engels spent many a day drinking coffee at sidewalk cafes on the streets of Vienna, muttering curses and pejoratives against the wealthy who rode by them in fine carriages and on magnificent horses. They were lusting after the wealth of others and desiring to steal it from them. Das Kapital is full of explanations of why it was necessary to take from the rich to give to the poor, at least it was what made sense to two unemployed men of anger.
As we conclude this lesson today, let us remember that it isn’t having wealth that is evil, it is not using the wealth to the Glory of God our sustainer and creator. It is by His blessing that anyone who is wealthy be ever mindful from where that wealth did come, not to be boastful, not to be foolish like the rich young man and worship the wealth. All of this is a very clear lesson. We are to ever praise God.
All other blessings will be in His providential care.
Let us pray:
Remember, O Lord, what thou hast wrought in us, and not what we deserve, and as thou hast called us to thy service, make us worthy of our calling, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Fix our hearts on thee, O God, in pure devotion, that the vain pursuits of this world may have no hold upon us, that we may be changed, by the consuming fire of thy Spirit, into the image and likeness of thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the same Spirit be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.
IN Christ alone during Trinity
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We are always grateful to get these wonderful sermons from Rev. Bryan, they keep us on our toes!
Sermon Text for Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity:
In our gospel lesson (St. Matthew 6:24) our Lord said, No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. While our Lord was talking about wealth, we know that anything which takes the place of the Godhead in our lives is a potential master seeking to dethrone the true Master of our souls. In St. Paul’s time there were those unregenerate amongst the Jews who tried to impose an unnecessary adherence to Judaism upon the newly formed community of Galatian Christians. In response to what he had been told of the matter, he penned the following (3:21-29) ... the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under the schoolmaster... For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ... And if ye be Christ’s then are ye Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. The apostle concluded his epistle with these words: And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God.
As the Rev. Matthew Henry noted concerning the above passage, the apostle pronounced a blessing upon both Gentile and Jew who adhered faithfully to the gospel thus demonstrating that they were in fact the true spiritual heirs of Abraham. And so it ought to be clearly understood from our reading of Scripture that God has created through Jesus Christ only one path to salvation. We should disabuse ourselves of the notion that there are, as the New Agers claim, many paths to God. Do not be tricked into believing that line of hokum for it was just such a warning which St. Paul sent to the Galatians. The requirements of the law have been fulfilled by the one Rabbi, Master and Saviour who came to free us from this body of sin and death.
Nevertheless, Satan has created a myriad of “other masters” that are meant to lure us from the strait and narrow path of our Christian walk. It should be understood at the outset that, in the time of this mortal life, you can expect to be troubled by the devil and his minions. We are daily faced with his inventive and insidious lures, particularly those twin menaces of doubt and worry. The devil uses these to elevate our troubles and accentuate our fears. If the devil can get us to think that our problems are too big for God, then such will impair our communion with the Godhead and will keep us from realizing our true calling in his service. Examine the words of our Lord in our gospel lesson when he said, Take no thought of your life...for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you... Doubt by its very nature causes us to hold our hands up and keep God at a distance. We look at what his word says and then the devil provides us with editorial comments such as, “Oh, that is not what it really means;” or, “Do you really believe that?” or, “That is impossible.”
Worry masters us, particularly if we hold the notion of our sovereign ability as captains of our lives. The devil encourages us to adopt this attitude so he can load us down with the cares and concerns of this life, and foolishly we assume them in the mistaken belief that we are in control. If you are a regenerate person, you should know that God is sovereign over all aspects of your life. If he is not, and you think that you have control, you will have worries “to beat the band” as the old folks would say.
Most of us have been brought up to be independent, career-oriented persons. We were taught to be diligent in our particular occupations in order provide for ourselves and our families. That is the natural and normative understanding of maturity. But many have not been taught that God is the sovereign ruler over the whole of Creation which includes our lives as well. Have you ever done something good for another and he or she took credit for it themselves? The devil enjoys seeing human beings elevating their own efforts over that of God.
Our challenge as born-again believers is to reject the notion that we are sovereign and live in accordance with God’s word and commandment. In Christ Jesus we have died to this world and are reborn as new people. Our bodies are therefore vessels of the Holy Spirit. We understand that we have been bought with a price and that we no longer belong to ourselves. Consider the Lord’s Prayer which many recite without much thought: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven... Think on that last phrase for it is pregnant with the Christian ethos. We do not say our will be done but his will. And, we do not say our kingdom come but his kingdom. If we are not living for him and him alone then we have not been born again of the Holy Ghost. If he is Lord, he is Lord over all our life and not just an hour or so on Sunday or on Wednesday evening.
Those who would not have the Godhead as their sovereign LORD and Master will have Satan as their default ruler. There are no shades of gray in God’s way of thinking. Either you are saved, or you are not. If you are saved, God is your LORD and Master. The New Age, All-Inclusive, Laodicean versions of the Christian faith have been fabricated by our adversary for the purpose of leading humanity away from the truth of God’s word written.
Do not become a casualty in this great spiritual war which is raging all around us. Put your faith in God and in his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who died on that rude cross so that all who believe on him might live with him forever. Lean on his breast as the beloved apostle John did at the Last Supper and was comforted beyond measure. Rely on his word and commandment as opposed to relying on your own understanding. And trust in him, as the 23rd Psalm so states, to lead you through the valley of the shadow of death to green pastures and by the still waters. God will do those things for you, and so much more, if you will follow his word written and be regenerated by the Holy Ghost in full acceptance of Jesus Christ as the only way, truth and life. Anything less will avail you nothing of God’s blessings nor of his kingdom.
Let us pray,
Father, make of us a people who, being born again of the Holy Ghost, will seek after thee and accept thy sovereign will over all aspects of our lives; for this we ask in the name of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Have a blessed week!
Bryan+
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AOC Minister at Large
Alabama
We are Fortunate today to have a sermon from Rev. David McMillian
Jude II: Mercy, Peace and LOVE be Multiplied!
"I'm not that perfect Christian---I'm the One who knows I need Jesus." (this was from Facebook. No Christian is perfect and no Christian would say this really without Jesus you are not a Christian. Duh)
To Be a Leader You Have to be a Servant First (Jude was a servant of Jesus even though he was the "brother of James")
Introduction---- If you or I are going through problems which we all do every day, what do we need? We don't need an angry voice or a loud one shouting. We don't need to be told we can't do such and such because we are not able to. We if we are honest struggle with doubts, difficulties, problems and people who annoy every day. Jude knew that. Jude knew there were tremendous problems; he was saying how to not give in right in the middle of. He was saying to fight the good fight, "…3contend earnestly for the faith." (Jude 3)
But he does not start with the problems even though that was the reason for writing the letter possibly to people he knew in Antioch. Verse 17 seems to say various Apostles had been there... "17But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ "
Jude begins as we started a few days ago with encouragement. "… 1them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called." (Jude 1) Even Christians have problems and their calling is of God, not themselves. How comforting to know we are kept and called!
Today, "2Mercy unto you, and peace, and love be multiplied." All of these things to the Christians he is writing be multiplied....(in the aorist optative passive verb tense} He is praying that what has happened, in the past, by their grounding and faith in the Saviour Jesus Christ will continue in the future-.optative. (I had to look that verb tense up!)
Jude says & prays that mercy, peace and love continue through the Holy Spirit, and God the Father in the faith they already have in the Son, Jesus Christ.
1. Mercy
Mercy is a small Greek word (tender compassion-eleos) but without God's mercy we would not be born from above, or born again.
"The Christian receives mercy AT HIS REGENERATION. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3) and every day of his Christian life stands in need of the mercy of God. NOTHING BUT UNMERITED MERCY can meet the constant needs of habitual sinners."
Here is the question to answer, "WHAT DO YOU AND I DO AS BELIEVERS TO APPROPRIATE GOD'S MERCY DAILY?"
---O this one is the key to a lot of our daily grind that is so bitter sometimes. I am happy to have an old house in Andalusia. Right now I am blessed to go outside for small refreshing moments, and I pick up blueberries off the bush, wash them, and they are better than skittles!
We need such mercy every moment of our lives, from the moment of believing to the moment of death, and in between our living here and interacting with people, problems, perplexities, and possibilities!
2. Peace.
Acceptance with God leads to peace in the life. (Eirene-Greek, Shalom- Hebrew) "When a man knows himself to be accepted with God, undeserving though He is, this gives him a deep peace in his life." Michael Green, The Epistle of Jude.
In the hubub, noise and loud voices of the world, we know what peace looks like. We seek it, and we try and appropriate it. A long trip refreshes the soul. I have been seeing a lot of pictures on FB from the " I love Scotland" site, and it makes me want to go there, to enjoy its people, scenery, animals, castles and beauty. I saw one this week, a video, of the ocean, near Auchenlarie (pronunciation?hmmm)
A problem finally solved brings us joy as well as peace. Perhaps we had that little word no and mean it, and close a chapter. There is peace in no. Boundaries bring peace too. I had a teacher, pastor one time who said Open windows, open views bring in the bugs. Being open is not always the best thing then.
3. Lastly, love.
That is the word agape in Greek, charity in the KJV. What is that country song? "Looking for love in all the wrong places?" Not eros (the greek nouns about love), fleshly love, not phileo, friendship, but agape, the love which is sacrificial. This is the only love that satisfies, and can carry us to heaven. Romans 5:5 says at the end of a series of questions about the tribulations of life, that require patience and hope, "Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Jude displays Christian love even in the serious warnings he issues in his letter. This should be our practice as well when we encounter error and division in the Church. And we will!
Conclusion:
As you go about your day, remember the Mercy, peace and love that has been multiplied, made us full in our lives, knowing we are not alone but God is journeying with us, in the darkness and the light, in the valley and on the mountaintop. And we Praise God for His indescribable mercy, love and peace!
David D. Mc Millan,
Pastor, & Chaplain (Major) US Army, ret.
The Rev. Don Fultz
Rector of St. Peter’s AOC located in the AOC National Office
We are grateful to have this sermon today from Rev. Don Fultz from St. Peter’s AOC, Statesville NC
Fifteenth Sunday in Trinity
Sermon: Matthew 6: 25-34
Anxiety can cripple us. It can sap our vitality and prevent us from taking effective action. It uses up the energy we need for other things, especially our work for the Lord. This is the sort of anxiety about which Jesus is speaking about in today’s Gospel. He is not encouraging us to be thoughtless, or to fail to make sensible provision for the future for ourselves and our families. Savings and insurance are proper ways of Christian stewardship. What our Lord is trying to wean us from is the sort of worry which makes the material things in our lives the dominant concern, and so reveals a basic lack of faith in God.
Priorities are essential in life. Per Jesus message this morning, our top priority should be God’s Kingdom. If the bringing of ourselves and all humans unto a relationship of loving obedience to God is our first concern, then our hearts will be fixed on Him. If we are set to do the will of God, we can be sure that He will provide us with the necessary material means. But it may be that His estimate of our requirements is simpler than our own!
Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:25-34 shows what I believe is a great message for handling life in today’s highly stressful environment. A lot of our worry is caused either by unfounded fears or social pressures. Recent Scientific studies show that roughly 85% to 91% of worries recorded by participants with anxiety did not come true. Excessive worry and anxieties can be harmful not only to our physical mental well- being but also to our Spiritual well- being with God. Jesus warns us about this in the morning text.
He forbids us to keep an anxious spirit about the things of this world. Four times over He says, “…25Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on., about clothing,…34Take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take though for the things of itself.” Take no thought means don’t worry, don’t be anxious. He reminds us of the provincial care that God continually takes care of everything that He has created. Hasn’t He given us “life” Then He surely will not let us want anything necessary for its maintenance. Has He given us a “body” made in his own image? Then He surely will not let us die for want of clothing. God provided the first clothing to Adam and Eve after they had sinned in the Garden of Eden.
He sends us to the fowls of the air for instruction. In verse 26 He says: “Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye not much better than they?” They literally live from day to day on what they can pick up, by using the instinct that God gave them. They ought to teach us that no human doing his duty to which God called him, shall ever be allowed to come to poverty.
Then Jesus says in verse 27: “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” Jesus points out the uselessness of over-anxiety. As Christians, our life is certainly in God’s hands; all the care in the world will not add any time to our life beyond the time God has appointed. We cannot add one hour to our lives: we shall not die until our work is done.
Then He bids us observe the flowers of the field. In verse 28-30 He says: “And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30Wherefore, if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” Year after year they are arrayed with the gayest of colors, without the slightest labour or exertion on their part. God, by his Almighty power, clothes them with beauty every season. He is the same God as the Father of all believers. Why should we doubt that He is able to provide us with Raiment, as well as the “Lillies of the Field” He who takes thought for perishable flowers, will surely not neglect the bodies in which dwell immortal souls.
Then Jesus says in verses 6:31-34: 31Therefore take no thought saying, What shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34Take therefore no thoughts for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”
In verse 34 Jesus is advising us to live one day at a time. We should consider doing so as we can’t control tomorrow. There is no point in worrying about tomorrow, because no one is assured of a tomorrow. God holds the times and seasons in His hand. Proverbs 16:9 tells us that “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.” That’s a good reason to commit each day and our future plans into God’s hands and to receive His strength for our anxieties. Only He can control our tomorrow.
Not only can’t we control tomorrow, but we do not know what may happen today. In fact, some of us going through severe crisis situations may dread the dawning of a new day. I once read that there are two possible ways people could wake up in the morning. One group cheerfully says, ‘Good morning, Lord”, while the other says, ‘Good Lord, its morning!’ When I wake up each morning, I just thank the Lord for another day! Therefore, let’s place our today in God’s hands for He is always in control. We are then assured of His providence, protection and provision.
It is interesting that God identifies Himself in the scriptures in the present tense as, ‘I am.’ He is therefore a God of the present; a God of today. Sadly, many people are either living with regret over the past or with anxiety over the future. For those living with regret over the past, St. Paul says in Philippians 3:13, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.” While for those worrying over their future Paul says: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4:6)
Yes, each day has troubles of its own but in Psalm 68:19, says: Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.” What troubles are you facing today? What are you anxious about? “Do not let the worries of tomorrow disable your life of today.” Our future is totally secured in Jesus! For some reason, however, most of the time, God doesn’t show us what tomorrow holds. Maybe it’s simply because He wants us to trust Him for tomorrow.
Not worrying about tomorrow is possible because tomorrow isn’t ours to control—it’s already held by a faithful God who gives you exactly what you need for today and knows what tomorrow holds. Knowing that God is in control helps us turn from worry to trust in the waiting. Not worrying about tomorrow is possible because the future is not random or out of control but held securely in the hands of a God who rules over all things. When we uphold who God is and how He cares for us, we can turn our worry over to Him.
His steady character means His care does not change with circumstances, giving us confidence even when the future feels uncertain.
Instead of fear or worry being our reaction to what lies ahead, we are called to trust Him with each moment, like Israel who learned to depend on His provision one day at a time. Worry misunderstands God’s care for His creation and for His children, who are deeply known and valued by Him. Because God is both in control and actively working all things toward good purposes, nothing in tomorrow is outside His plan or redemption. Instead of anxiety, we can trust Him and can seek to live for Him today and seek to wisely plan for tomorrow but choosing not to worry about the outcomes. So, living without worry about tomorrow is possible when we trust God and seek to honor Him. It's not about ignoring the future but about resting in the One who already stands in it and holds it complete.
God faithfully provides for His people and calls us to depend on Him for all things, not to fret or worry about the future (Exodus 16:4–5; Deuteronomy 8:2–3). It's interesting to note that God provided Israel with manna enough for each day; they were not to seek control by stockpiling for the next day but to trust God for His provision each day. God’s character is steady even when circumstances are uncertain. That means we can trust in Him even when the future is unknown (Lamentations 3:22—23; Psalm 37:5; Habakkuk 3:17—19).
How quickly does planning for tomorrow turn to worrying about tomorrow? What starts as thinking ahead, planning your steps, and seeking what God has turns into rehearsing conversations that haven’t happened, worrying about outcomes that don’t exist yet, and becoming anxious about worst-case scenarios that may never come.
God’s invitation is not to ignore the future but to trust the One who already knows it and stands over it. If God is sovereign over every step of our lives and faithfully provides what is needed day by day, then worry can be seen for what it is: fear or control we were never meant to have.
God gives enough grace for today—not always excess for our imagined tomorrows but always exactly what is needed when the moment arrives. He gives us wisdom to live in preparation for tomorrow, so we don't have to worry about it. So, peace is not found in knowing the future but in knowing the One who holds it completely.
How can we do this? We can remind ourselves what is true about God. We can seek to honor Him in all we do. We can strengthen ourselves through His Word, holding on to His promises. We can turn our worries over to Him in prayer, seeking His help to know which next step to take. When anxiety about the future rises, it becomes a cue...not to spiral but to pray: God, you are sovereign over all things and each day; help me trust you in this one. We can make a list of what we are grateful for and how God has provided for us in the past. When we do these things, what once felt like uncertainty becomes the place where trust is learned. Tomorrow is not a threat to the one whose life is held by God.
St. James warns us in 4:13-17, that we should refrain from boasting or any form of arrogance when making plans for the future. It is significant that he is referring specifically to businessmen making plans for their selling and buying. He then draws the attention of readers to the uncertainty of life and the uncertainty of tomorrow.
This was something along the lines of what Jesus Himself was saying in the parable of ‘The Rich Fool’, found in Luke 12:16-20. The man in this parable was blessed by God with an abundant harvest of fruits. Instead of sharing his blessings with others, ie, the poor, needy and lest fortunate, he decided to tear down all of his smaller barns and build larger ones to store all of the excess harvest.
He was arrogantly planning for the future years to “Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” He said this without a thought for either God, or his fellow-man.
He received one of the strongest rebukes in the Bible as God said, “You fool”! He didn’t see tomorrow. Therefore, as James advises in James 4:15, let’s bring God into all our plans and pray for His will to be fulfilled in our plans for tomorrow. Only He can control our tomorrow. In Acts 18:21. Paul told the people of Ephesus, “I will return again unto you, if God will”.
In closing, we can’t be wholly committed to God if we are devoted to worrying about tomorrow. Worrying about tomorrow is a failure to trust in God and accomplishes nothing. So St Peter wisely advises “Casting all your cares upon Him; for He careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7) St Paul says: “Those things which you have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”(Phil 4:9) In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
The Rev. Don Fultz+
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: Keep Praying Please
AOC Church of the Redeemer who still needs a Pastor, we are trying to find for them.
Philippine Island – Praise God! – Baguio City schools have reopened
Brenda – fracture knee cap and shoulder, long recovery
Cheryl – surgery was successful today – two-week recovery
Sandy Carpenter – Congestive Heart Failure – weak limbs – husband, Darryl and their family
Michele Gee- stage 3 cervical cancer
Darryl and Jennifer Baughn - assisting Darryl’s mother who is suffering with end of life issues
Arnold and Martha Robbins – Senior Health issues
Rhett Carter – has succumbed to his injuries – comfort for widow and parents, John & Karen
Donny Clark – hospitalized for stroke – Anne – overseeing his care
Kathy – Kathy is beginning to heal plese keep praying for this healing and severe anxiety related
Baby Baelin – Praise God, Baby Baelin has gone home with a feeding tube but able to take a bottle
Donny – hospitalized due to multiple strokes and inability to speak, pray for David and Anne, family who are helping him in recovery
Ben Hancock – treatment for colon cancer
Rev. Geordie: needs prayer for medical issues
Debbie Grimes: colon cancer – surgery
Man, who is a friend of many – Brain Cancer
Bobby Effinger – recovery from heart surgery and ongoing heart issues
Joseph Broddie – recurring throat cancer
David Williams – serious cardiac issues – pray for David and wife Sherie for coping with changes
Colby Landry – cancer. Please pray for his wife, Leah and their family at this time of trial.
Persecuted Christians – subject to persecution and imprisonment for their faith.
Bobby Bryan – suffering with cancer and cardiac issues.
For an increase in the true faith in Jesus Christ here and across the globe.
USA – Leaders, citizens, military, first responders – President Trump & all Cabinet Members Safety
Ophelia – crippling arthritis pain
Dave – COPD – new diagnosis of Diabetes type 2 – Gastritis episode
Mary Lou – Praise the Lord, she is moved in and unpacking – keep praying for strength
Extended Issues need continued prayer;
Laurie with long Covid Symptoms –suregery for broken ankle with infection, torn tendons. Prayer for family as well.
Malcom Allred – Cancer Treatment
Keep Praying for the following:
Shamu-health issues, Jan Jessup-neuro dementia, AOC USA, AOC Missions, Harper-IBS,
Jim Sevier- God’s
Peace, Linda – stay in remission with multiple myeloma, Alicia-caregiver, Sophie, Colin and Lori Beall –
cancer, Malou –
cancer, Janice, Bobby, Myra Cox, Faye Miller, Diane, Alice, Yves Mera, Lucile, Ryan, Steven, Rency, Jack & Karen, Brannon, Joyce, Camella –
starting radiation treatment for 3 weeks, Charlie, Dennis, Beverly and Howard, Betty, Deborah,
Points to Ponder: Picture on Front – Green Pastures from Daily Readings
"I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." John 10:9
The shepherd takes care that his sheep are well fed. Christ also feeds His people, and leads them out to find pasture.
The Bible is His pasture-land, and the pasturage there is always good. Every chapter is a field of rich grass. Some of these fields seem at first to be bare and sterile; but even in the barest — there is enough pasture to feed a hungry soul.
Then there are the pasture-fields of prayer. These lie very close to the border of Heaven. They are always up in the quiet valleys among the mountains. The Good Shepherd leads us to them through the gates of prayer. We bow down in lowly humility, and enter with Him into the green pastures, and feed our souls until their hunger is satisfied.
The church is another of our Shepherd's pasture-fields. We enter the gates of the sanctuary, and at once we find spiritual food. We find it in the preaching of the Scriptures, in the ordinances, and in the fellowship of other believers.
In our common life in this world, if we are faithfully following Christ, we are continually in fields of rich pasture. Christ never leads us into any places in which there is nothing to feed us. Even in the hot plains of trial and sorrow — there is food. We sometimes think there is only barrenness in our toilsome life, filled with temptations, cares and sacrifices; but the Good Shepherd is ever with us — and there is always pasture.
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