261011 AOC Sunday Report
Worldwide Communion
Nineteenth Sunday
after Trinity
October
11, 2026
Sunday Report
Nineteenth 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 214-215.
The Collect for the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Epistle for Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity. Ephesians iv. 17.
THIS I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
The Gospel for Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity. St. Matthew. ix. 1.
JESUS entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." Matthew 21:22
There are other scriptures qualifying this:
In the first place, it is not all asking that is really praying — and therefore not all asking that receives. James says, "You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts." A man asks for money, not to use it for the glory of God and the good of others — but for his own glory and pleasure.
Again, the Psalmist says, "If I regard iniquity in my heart — the Lord will not hear me." That is, if one is cherishing a secret sin in his heart while he is trying to serve God — no prayers that he offers will be heard or answered. So here are at least two kinds of asking that will not bring an answer.
Then there are conditions. One is that we must ask in Christ's name. That implies that we believe in Christ as our Savior, and are His faithful friends, and therefore have a right to use His name. This condition narrows down the promise to the true followers of Christ.
Another condition is that we are abiding in Christ, and His words are abiding in us. Even a Christian who is following afar off does not come within the circle of this promise.
Then there is another qualification which belongs to all promises to prayer. God Himself must be the judge as to the things we ask, whether they would really be blessings to us or not. There may be things we desire very earnestly — that it would be the greatest unkindness to grant us. Is God then bound by this promise to give us what we crave? By no means. The Lord will give what is good. "No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly." But He will withhold even from the most upright, the things which in His Divine wisdom — He sees would not be good things. This is implied in every such promise as this.
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
Food for Thought: The White Stone and the New Name
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/10/youtube-video-player_0516864045.html
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw0pGTIxylI
Friday Daily Devotional Video: I stand at the Door and Knock
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/10/youtube-video-player_0850545422.html
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOtrb6c38Is
Trinity 19 Sermon Video Summary – Bishop Jerry Ogles
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/10/youtube-video-player_0513289806.html
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_l_lNr85k0
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 – Nineteenth Sunday after trinity
Psalm: 72; The First Lesson: Job 24:1-17; The Second Lesson: Titus 2
O GOD, forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee; Mercifully grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
hymns # 430, 553, 156
“God is Sovereign”
There is a rather stark contrast between our Old Testament and New Testament lessons. In the book of Job, there is a listing of what appears to be a wanton abuse of good people by evil people. They seem to be getting away with all of this abuse.
Job points out that they do all this under the supposed protection of darkness. All of this activity is done in what appears to be secret. And yet as Job points out, God does see them, He is aware of their activity, their proclivity to evil, the damage they do with animal-like abandon, ‘...behold, as wild asses in the desert, go they forth to their work; rising betimes for a prey:...’
All seems to be happening without any intervention by God.
The warning against this behavior is found several times in this passage, starting with verse one: “1Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?” And again the several references to doing evil in the dark or at twilight, all in an attempt to avoid the Almighty. We know that God does not sleep or slumber, so the understanding is He sees all. So no matter what the wicked do to try and avoid God’s eyes, they are not able to do so, He sees all.
Psalm 121:4: Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
When we compare and contrast the Old Testament lesson with the New Testament lesson we can see several valuable points to aid us in our daily walk with God, and by understanding that God is sovereign. He controls all.
In the second chapter of Titus, Paul is writing to new and ‘seasoned’ Christians at the same time. He expresses the need to eat, sleep, read, and profess sound doctrine. It is of the utmost importance to do these things. As Paul had written to Timothy and to the church at Corinth, he again emphasizes the need to be true to the Gospel message.
All of the characteristics that he writes about are an important aspect of behavior, a behavior that the world is watching at all times. The idea, of course, is to see if Christians mess up in their daily lives. We can and we do mess up, we are not perfect, we are forgiven. That is an interesting point that can be made to nonbelievers. We as Christians are not perfect, but we are forgiven our sins when we ask forgiveness of the same. We are to be sound in faith, in charity, in patience, be teachers of good things, teach younger ones these truths and also showing a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing incorruptness.
As we study this chapter pay attention to verses 9-11. Many false teachers try to use this and other similar passages to say the Bible promotes slavery. Balderdash. Define servant.
In a very real way, anyone who works for someone else is their servant. I know in our democratic ways we like to think of ourselves as independent beings, but in reality we have a boss or three when we work for others. In theory even if you have your own business, you still have bosses...they are your customers. But now back to the point. As a servant/employee we are not to talk back, we are to follow the orders of the boss (as long as it is legal), don’t steal, this includes playing on the internet, taking long coffee breaks, being idle.
Be faithful, be a good worker/servant: why? Because the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. Make sure you show that grace of God in all you do as a person, a worker, a boss, a neighbor, a friend to both believers and non-believers.
9Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; 10Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
In conclusion, if we know that God sees all, that He is Sovereign and has control of all then it is our duty to God and His Kingdom to live and serve Him all our days. As we reread the last five verses of Titus chapter Two, let us reflect on what St. Paul is expressing as the right way to face the day to day grind we all find ourselves in; we are to look for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Know that we cannot do this ourselves, we must deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly, in this present world. We need to speak, exhort and rebuke with all authority, because it is the right thing to do as we serve the Kingdom.
11For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 15These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
Let us pray:
Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings, with Thy most gracious favor, and further us with Thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may glorify Thy holy Name, and finally, By Thy mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
O Almighty God, who hast built Thy Church upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the head cornerstone; Grant, us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their doctrine, that we may be made an holy temple acceptable unto Thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace, now and for 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 Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity:
In our Old Testament lesson for today (I Kings 21:17-22) we learned that God had sent the prophet Elijah to pronounce judgment on wicked King Ahab and his entire family. He publicly proclaimed before Ahab that on account of his murder of Naboth and the illegal seizing of his property, the king would have no male descendants to inherit his place on the throne of Israel. If one reads further in the books of I and II Kings, you will find that God did indeed put an end to the line of Ahab, and in the gruesome fashion which the prophet had set forth.
From the beginning, God has called on mankind to live by his rules for life. He even created a means whereby men and women can be saved from his just wrath to come through the atoning work of his only begotten Son. Nevertheless, base humanity continues to listen to the hiss of that same serpent who inspired our first parents to rebel against our Creator God.
In spite of all that God has done to assist mankind, a sizable number persist in their belief that they are able to save themselves, and that the next leap forward for humanity — apart from God — is just around the corner. If only such people would examine the words of the apostle Paul to young Timothy then they might see things differently. The apostle warned his pupil that, evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.(II St. Timothy 3:13). The apostle spoke of no revival. He spoke of no paradise of progress for humanity as the modernist and the social progressive espouse. He prophesied that evil men and deceivers will continue to grow in number until our Lord’s return. And such is a fact of life which we must accept. We cannot fight the good fight of faith if we are in denial about the presence and power of evil not only in individual mortals but in the multifarious institutions of government which have been and are now in place across the world.
From its inception, human government has been twisted by Satan to serve his purposes. Even our Lord was tempted with the power to control the nations and empires of the world when Satan said: All this power will I give thee and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. (St. Luke 4:6-7). The Devil’s message to our Lord was not unknown to him. The Bible tells us rather plainly that the Devil gained control over this sphere after the fall of man in the Garden. And because he has possession, Satan will exert his influence over those whose hearts lust after power, wealth, and fame. So through his placement of such persons within the various governments across the globe, the Devil has created a willing cadre of elite followers who will do literally anything to retain their offices.
Clearly, said individuals are not born again in name of our Lord. And because they are not indwelt by the Holy Ghost, they are powerless to resist the Devil’s will and suggestion unless a holy God preempts him. The apostle Peter once noted in his second epistle that, The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished. (2:9). Evil people everywhere should cringe at that passage! God knows who they are and has reserved for them a place in the fires of perdition. Yet in spite of this, the wicked and the unrepentant are seemly unaffected by God’s word while they remain in the precincts of this life. Only afterwards will they discover, to their eternal sorrow— or rather, horror— the absolute truth of what God had set forth before them in his word written.
The Rev. E.M. Bounds once noted concerning human governments that, “Satan seizes and directs all the mighty forces of this world! War is seized ... and is no longer the patriot’s struggle for freedom or the defense of home and native land. Instead, it becomes the tool of despotism; it crushes liberty and enslaves freedom. War carries on a campaign of lust, rape, cruelty, desolation, and death ...Money ... is diverted by Satan for selfish and unholy purposes ... Men become illustrious and esteemed ... when they are money-getters and money-keepers. Education ... becomes a source of pride and ungodly power ... Under the guise of Christian learning, education becomes the most powerful ally to Satan by unsettling faith in God’s Word and opening a wide door of skepticism in the temple of God.”
Dr. Merrill Unger detailed for us the magnitude of the satanic nature of government when he wrote, “Not only is Satan the directing head of [this] world system, but according to Scripture, the system itself is wholly evil ... [it] is characterized by pride, lust and war ... [it] presents a perpetual peril to the child of God ... [Satan] is the god of this age, the head of a powerful world system, and through human governments is the director of the affairs of unregenerate men, albeit unknown to them...”
Just as evil King Ahab and his conniving wife Jezebel maligned and then condemned Naboth so they could take his vineyard; likewise governments today, under the leadership of Satan, conjure up ways to take the wealth of their people through theft, deceit, and every sort of craft imaginable. Brandon Smith once observed that, “Big government is not a ‘necessary evil’. It is just evil. Like the ring of Sauron, it lures in the weak with promises of power, but this power is a ruse. Each side of our false left/right paradigm, Democrat and Republican, thinks that if only THEY were the bearers of the ring they would ‘finally use it for good’. But once in their possession, they are overtaken, overwhelmed, and corrupted by personal temptation...” We have no power to bring about good by utilizing evil because we are not God. God alone has the power to turn evil to our good if it is within his purposeful will so to do. But those who seek power, wealth and fame when faced with such an offering by Satan will not say as our Lord did: Get thee hence, but will rather offer to kneel and even kiss the ring of the evil one in order to get what they desire — what they might term as “My Precious.”
While God is sovereign over his creation, the Devil has a limited scope of authority for now until our Lord returns to cast him out. Look at Revelation chapters 21and 22. We who are born again of the Holy Ghost will inherit a kingdom unlike anything this world has seen since before the fall of man in the Garden. For it is that kingdom which God has prepared for all who truly love him and seek his will. But for the moment, the plan of God is to let evil run its course until the glorious appearing of our Saviour. So what should be we be doing now? We should be working to spread the good news of God’s grace to all who will listen. We ought to be working to preserve the good things about our governments and our countries which the Lord has extended to us.
It is clear from Scripture that we should be busy — occupied — until the return of our Lord and King, Jesus the Messiah. We are to live following his commandments and continue to stand for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (St. Jude 3). Wicked governments and evil rulers will increase culminating in the worst of them all, the Antichrist. We know that he is coming, but we know from Scripture that he will not endure for, in the words of Martin Luther, “. . .lo, his doom is sure. One little word shall fell him.” So then keep to the true faith. Read your bibles and follow God’s word for they are the words of life. The institutions of today, and the people who fill them, are transitory and temporary. Consider that last point in light of the words of the poem Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) about pharaoh Ramesses II:
I met a traveler from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal these words appear:
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
St. Peter tells us that the world and every thing upon it shall one day be burned off by the word of God ( see II St. Peter 3:10-11). And God has promised us a glorious and everlasting home in the New Jerusalem in which righteousness dwells. So then let us stand fast today in the hope of that great day when we shall know as we are known — when our Lord returns to take us to that home which he has prepared for us. God is not coming to put us in a FEMA camp, or a housing development. He has a mansion for each of us — a place of indescribable beauty and comfort beyond our understanding. He is not coming to manipulate, control or use us for some selfish purpose. He is coming back that we might have life, and have it in abundance.
If you have not committed yourself to Christ, do not reject his calling and his free gift. Accept it and live, and then tell others that they too might do likewise. The greatest and best government is that of our Lord and King, Jesus Christ. Embrace him today, and then go and communicate the same to others.
Let us pray,
O most holy and gracious God, whose hand no being either natural or supernatural can turn aside, give us such a infilling of thy Holy Spirit, that we would live in obedience to thy will, and do those things which thou hast given us to perform in thy service; for these things we ask in the name of our Lord and King, even Jesus Christ. Amen.
Have a blessed week!
Bryan+
AOC Minister at Large
Alabama
We are Fortunate today to have a sermon from Rev. David McMillian
Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity
Series on Jude: Jude 8-11
"8Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. 9Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. 10But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. 11Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core (Korah)."
Errorism is terrorism for sure as one commentator put it. But positively Jude speaks to the believers who are preserved & continually preserved in Jesus Christ, and called /loved by God Himself. We are looking at vs 8-13 in their highlights illustrated by the apostasy of Israel, the rebellion of some of the Angels, the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Old Covenant and applying this to the "ungodly men" , vs 4, and of course the unbelief that pervades all of this.
We left off with the end of vs 7 in our previous message and it was something we briefly touched on, "the vengeance of eternal fire." The so-called believers, called ungodly, that actually were apostates, (that is they had fallen away from real belief in Jesus Christ) were like the angels that fell away--- Jude, the brother of Jesus, tells us. They were arrogant and prideful as well as those who practiced the unbelief and lust in Sodom.
Jude is telling his readers to make sure they have not fallen away, but as verse two says God has given to real believers, mercy, peace and love which be multiplied. We do not want what happens to the ungodly to be our lot if we continue to disregard the call and mercy of God and ultimately if we continue in unbelief the vengeance of eternal fire. Positively, real believers are "reminded that the triumph of evil is not final. God's judgment, though it delay, will surely come." Michael Green
In verses eight, Jude calls those dreamers false teachers that reject authority. They reject the Lordship of Jesus. Verse ten, says they "corrupt themselves." What a description of their downfall soon to happen. They were irreverent toward God and practice unrestrained sin in their ungodly deeds. They are treating the fact that God graciously accepts sinners as an excuse for flagrant shameless sin.
Have we ever thought this way? Because we are "forgiven" and on our way to heaven, that we can get away with the practice of sin? One thing I like about the practice of some parts of Christianity is that they pray on their knees. On our knees we know God, bless Him, are reverent and humble knowing He is just, wise and all love to us, graciously forgiving us of our past and renewing day by day by the Spirit of God. Humility is the place to start and continue our relationship with Christ.
2. They have gone the way of Cain, Balaam, and Korah all examples of ungodliness from the Old Testament. (Jude 11) Cain was a murderer. Balaam was a prophet who spoke only for money, and Korah rebelled against God's leaders. Cain was a forerunner of the false teachers as he defied God and was a cynical materialistic person.
In these three pen-pictures we see three leading parts of the errorists. Like Cain, they were devoid of love. Like Balaam, they were prepared in return for money to teach others that sin did not matter. Like Korah, they were careless of the ordinances of God, and were insubordinate to church leaders. Note that each of these three OT characters met with ruin.
---Yes, in conclusion errorism is terrorism in the spiritual sense. False teaching produces unholy lives and denies most importantly the only "Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." (Jude 4) We should be those who reasonably contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints, (Jude 3) The word is actually the English agonize epagōnízomai (from/epí, "focused on" and 73 /agṓn, "a contest, competition") – properly, to contend (literally, "struggle upon, appropriately"), i.e. with skill and commitment in opposing whatever is not of faith (God's persuasion).
David D. Mc Millan,
Pastor, & Chaplain (Major) US Army, ret.
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: Keep Praying Please
AOC Church of the Redeemer who still needs a Pastor
Bishop John – gall bladder removed – pray for complete recovery
Brenda – fracture knee cap and shoulder, long recovery – at home and recovering well
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 having surgery Wednesday for a skin cancer on her ear!
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
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 –Diabetes type 2
Extended Issues need continued prayer;
Laurie - broken ankle - three surgeries to correct - long recovery - family members
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 –MM, 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, Baelin
Points to Ponder:
If the dead arose continually to declare to us all that takes place there, even this phenomenon would in time also be disregarded; for the tempter could, with the greatest ease, adapt his wicked teaching to such a state of affairs... For even now, when nothing of that kind takes place, the forms of the departed often have appeared in dreams, and have deceived and ruined many. Much more if such a state of things, namely, that many returned from the dead, existed, that subtle spirit would involve many in his wiles, and introduce great deception into our life. Therefore God has closed the portals, and does not permit any of those who have departed to return to tell us the things that take place there; so that the tempter cannot take advantage of such a state of things... But God, foreseeing all these things, has prevented such... He has taught us to regard the Holy Scriptures as more worthy of trust than everything else. For He has made certain things more clear to us than they would have been made by the resurrection of the dead; He has instructed the whole world; He has driven away error, and brought in the truth; He has, by the instrumentality of fishermen and men of no reputation, procured all these benefits, and afforded to us on all sides sufficient proofs of His own providence. Therefore let us not imagine that our affairs are bounded by the present life; but let us be assured that there will be a scrutiny, and a recompense or a retribution for all that has happened here. This fact is so clear and plain to all...For if... men do not act as wisely as they ought, with regard to the resurrection, still all agree with respect to the judgment, and future punishment and trial... that there is a recompense hereafter for all the things that have happened here.
St. John Chrysostom
There is a church outside of which
there is no salvation— a church to which a man must belong, or be lost
eternally. I lay this down without hesitation or reserve. I say it as strongly
and as confidently as the strongest advocate of the Church of Rome. But what is
this church? Where is this church? What are the marks by which this church may
be known? This is the grand question. The one true church is well described in
the [Book of Common Prayer of 1662] as “the mystical body of Christ, which is
the blessed company of all faithful people.” It is composed of all believers in
the Lord Jesus. It is made up of all God’s elect, of all converted men and
women— all true Christians. In whatsoever we can discern the election of God
the Father, the sprinkling of the blood of God the Son, the sanctifying work
of God the Spirit, in that person we see a member of Christ’s true church.
The Most Rev. J. C. Ryle – Knots Untied, pp. 224-225
So honesty, sobriety, and such things may be very good among men. But all these things put together, without faith, do not please God. Virtues without faith are whitewashed sins.
The Rev. Charles H. Spurgeon
Every committed
Christian glories in the cross of Christ – not the instrument itself, but the
sacrifice made upon it for our behalf. The cross of Christ was not a shining,
gold structure, but a rough-hewn timber. It was ugly and unkempt. It was much
like the uncomely goat-hair covering of the Tabernacle, but look at the beauty
inside the Tabernacle which was Christ! Christ established His Church and
Kingdom to be one of inner beauty and not of elaborate showing to the world.
The world does not appreciate true beauty, but those who are IN Christ know of
the grandeur of that home. We are ransomed at the high cost of the Father’s
sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son. That makes you and I of considerable value
in the eyes of God. When He beholds us, He beholds His Son on the cross, and
His blood covering us in a mantle of righteousness – not OUR righteousness, but
HIS
Bishop Jerry Ogles – Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross
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