The Scarlet Line of Salvation – 1 May 2021, Anno Domini

 

 

B

Y faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace. (Hebrews 11:31)

 

Throw out the lifeline across the dark wave goes the opening line of an old Gospel hymn. That lifeline was one of spiritual salvation as much as it was to save from the swirling tide. But there is another lifeline proffered in Holy Writ that begins at Eden and ends at Revelations – The Scarlet Cord of Sacrifice and Redemption. That Cord was conceived in the Mind of God long before the worlds were formed, and God’s only Begotten Son was designated to be the ultimate realization of the Salvation it afforded. We have the primitive picture of the blood sacrifice in Genesis 3:21, and of the Passover in Egypt, and in the episode of Abraham’s travel to Mt. Moriah (the mount of the Temple Mound) to sacrifice Isaac, and in many other places; however, today’s devotion will center on a harlot woman who gained the Lord’s favor in the fall of Jericho to the Children of Israel.

 

Joshua (a type of Christ and technically the same name in Hebrew as Jesus in Greek) sent two spies into Jericho to search out the city. They found shelter in the home of Rahab, the harlot. She protected them and hid them from the men of the city. Her story can be read in Joshua 2. Before the city fell, she let the men down the wall of Jericho with a Scarlet Cord after gaining a promise from them to preserve her life and those of her family. Rahab and her family were saved by that same Scarlet Cord that saved the two men of Israel. Joshua honored that promise at the Fall of Jericho. But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her. And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel.  (Joshua 6:22-23)  And so it was: And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.  (Joshua 6:25)

 

            In spite of her sinful past, Rahab was saved in a moment, along with all her family, by a single act of faith. Faith is a gift of grace that is given without merit of the beneficiary. It is difficult to explain how such a woman could have taken pity on the Hebrew spies without the implantation of faith in her heart by the work of the Holy Ghost. Her salvation was a genuine covenant based on her faith that resulted in the salvation of her entire family. It can be a covenant relationship with our own children and family. Remember Zacchaeus was saved that very night - he and his whole household.

 

            Consider the continuing blessings of grace afforded Rahab. Rahab (Rachab in Matthew) became the mother of Boaz (the husband of Ruth) and the great grandmother of King David in the line through which the Lord Jesus Christ was ‘legally’ descended. And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; 6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias. (Matthew 1:5-6)

 

            Along with faith, there often comes grave risks; but God is able to see us through the fires of persecution and danger. Rahab had faith in the right amount to see her through a time of terror and on to victory. Though she was never in real danger under the watchful eye of the Lord, Rahab could only have known that through faith.

 

            Do you have the faith of Rahab? Have you extended the Scarlet Cord of Salvation to your family members or neighbors who need to recognize their calling in Christ? While we have opportunity to share the Gospel truth in times of peace, perhaps we can at least have the courage and faith of Rahab to do so as she did under the threat of death. Throw out the Lifeline across the dark sea!

 

The Shield of Faith – 30 April 2021, Anno Domini

 

 

N

OW faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report. 3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. (Hebrews 11:1-3)

 

            Today’s text is taken from the lectionary for the day and presents some profound principles ensconced in very concise terms. 

 

            Some have claimed that faith cannot be based on outward evidence – that it is a thing unseen and inexplicable in physical observation. I disagree. I believe many aspects of faith are evidenced in the world around us – evidence that may go unobserved by the common eye. It is not necessary to see a thing with your physical eye in order to know of its reality. For example, if you are not a democrat, there is sufficient evidence to prove that you have a brain; yet, you have never seen your brain.  But it is certain that you have one stowed away in your cranial cavity. Likewise the great truths of God as Creator. We see the wonders of His works and cannot doubt the supreme Mind that is evidenced by the intricate plan of His work. As Confucius (Kong Fu Tzu) asked centuries ago, “Do you need proof of God? Does one light a candle to see the sun?”

 

            Tucked neatly away in the latter portion of the 3^rd verse above is an amazing scientific fact: “that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Consider the element we call GOLD. It is element number 79 on the Periodic Table of elements, and its symbol is ‘Au.’ Gold has been viewed and admired by millions across the centuries. It has been used as a valuable medium of exchange, a metal from which weddings rings have been made, and it has even been worshipped in the ancient days – and, by some, today! If I were to hand you a twenty-dollar gold piece, refined to 99.9 percent purity, you would immediately recognize its metallic properties as gold; but have you ever seen an atom of GOLD? Before you answer, think the possibilities through to their logical conclusion.  

 

            Well, you have indeed seen an atom of GOLD; in fact, you have seen millions of them for that is the composition of all GOLD. You may not be able to see a single atom of GOLD, but you have certainly seen millions of them combined to form an object of GOLD. To reverse the old saying, “If you have seen one, you have seen them all” to read, “If you have seen them all, you have seen one.” "things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."

 

            Faith, too, is not based on simple emotion. It is based upon informed knowledge and wisdom of the evidence of God in all that we see about us. There is such a thing as unreasonable faith. We may believe that we can fly, but if we jump from the Empire State Building, that faith will result in splatter of stupidity at the base. But if our faith is based on the certainty of God as Creator and Redeemer, we need not know the intricate details of all His plans until He deems it appropriate to reveal them to us.

 

            Among many other properties, Faith is a Shield and an Anchor for the soul. The ancient Roman soldier carried his shield into battle trusting its ability to fend off the blows of the enemy. In the same way, the Christian bears his Shield of Faith in every venue of life to shield against the blows of the Adversary of his soul. “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Ephesians 6:16. But long before engaging the enemy we face daily, there must be an inward strength that enables us to march forth to the forward edge of the battle line. Just as a mighty Ok Tree must gain its nutrients and strength from the mineral-rich soil by way of its root system, so must the Christian garner daily strength to carry his Shield of Faith forth to the battle. The root system of the Christian is his Faith. Faith conveys hope of ultimate victory based on the faith in the God of Battles Himself – our Lord Jesus Christ. “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.” (Hebrews 6:19)

 

            The Oak cannot move from its anchor in the root – neither can the Christian move from his Anchor of the Soul.

A Virtuous Woman – 29 April 2021, Anno Domini

 

 

A virtuous woman is one who has obeyed the Commandments of God from her early youth. She responds to the heart-strings of love excited by devotion to God and an affection for others. She is honest to God and to her own soul. 

 

            Such a woman deserves our highest regard and respect. Even God’s Word places such a premium on virtue that the Word refers to wisdom in the same manner as a virtuous woman: “13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. 14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.”  (Proverbs 3:13-15)  So, wisdom, like a virtuous woman, is more precious than rubies. 

 

10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. 11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. 12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.  (Proverbs 31:10-12)

 

Not only is she trustworthy to a fault, but very careful in her duties as a wife and mother. Unlike a couch-potato, the virtuous woman is enterprising in the management of her home as well as in the means of provision for her children and her husband. The 31^st chapter of Proverbs give quite an extensive list of admirable qualities of the virtuous woman.

 

Why does God describe both wisdom and a virtuous woman as “more valuable that rubies?” I believe it is due to the innate qualities of the ruby. The ruby is a gem whose beauty and color never fade, and it never changes due to environmental factors. Its beauty, unlike the diamond whose beauty is generated by refracted light from without, radiates from within the depth of its being just like the heart of a virtuous woman. The red color represents sacrificial love that will lay itself down for a loved one.

 

Rubies are valuable – not just owing to their beauty – but to their rarity. They must be sought out and labored for in the earth. A virtuous woman is likewise rare and cannot be found without earnest searching. Jacob labored fourteen years for the woman of his heart – the blessed Rachel. 

 

Any woman, devoutly loved by her husband, can be that virtuous woman. It is the nature of womankind to always return sincere and sacrificial love in like kind. The Church is an example of that womanly nature. Her Bridegroom (the Lord Jesus Christ) laid down His life for His Bride. The Bride (Church) is able to return the love of the Bridegroom because He first loved us.

 

Soon, we will observe Mother’s Day. It is fitting that we consider deeply what our mothers, our wives, and our daughters have meant, and mean, to us. If we look intently, we can most likely find many, if not all, the biblical qualities of a virtuous woman in the lady closest to us in love:

 

S

HE seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. 14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. 15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a ruby to her maidens. 16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. 18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. 19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. 20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. 21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. 22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. 23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. 24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. 25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. 26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. 27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. 28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.  (Proverbs 31:13-28)

 

            Seek and ye shall find.

 

God’s Stationery – The Heart – 27 April 2021, Anno Domini

 

 

D

O we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? 2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: 3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. (2 Corinthians 3:1-3)

 

            Have you ever considered your heart as a medium for writing - especially as a book of laws? The laws of nature such as gravity, heat, and motion are for the physical bodies; but the spiritual laws are without value unless written on the soft sinews and deep chambers of the heart. The heart is considered the seat of the soul. The higher rules of evidence are only perceived by the heart that has that resource of God’s Law written therein. As Blaise Pascal has said: “The heart has reasons that reason cannot know."

 

            In the above text, Paul is referring to a written letter (Epistle). The Letter to which he refers are the believers whose testimonies are written by the ink of the Holy Spirit in their hearts. 

 

W

HEREOF the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.  (Hebrews 10:15-17)

 

            Ancient Rome was a great power whose armies were filled with citizens who loved Rome and fought out of that love for her defense and expansion. In the process of time, Rome began to hire mercenary soldiers who had little feeling for the welfare of Rome to fight their battles. This signaled the decline of the Roman Empire. The degradation did not begin by any threat from without, but from decay from within. This has been the fall of every major world power from the beginning until now. When the heart fails, the body dies.

 

            The Old Testament covenant was a testament symbolized by the blood sacrifice of animals for sin. But this was only symbolic of a greater sacrifice to come. The animal sacrifices were a shadow of the true sacrifice of our Lord. In the fulness of time, God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to redeem us from the bondage of sin. This was the once-and-for-all-time sacrifice that could atone for our sins. It heralded a New Testament (or Last Will and Testament) of the Lord which, if not written in the hearts of His elect, would avail nothing for the lost sinner.

 

B

UT Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.  (Hebrews 9:11-18)

 

            Have you opened your heart lately to find what is written there? If it is the graffiti of the world, woe is you; but if the love of God and His Law is written there, then rejoice at the prospect of Heaven. As Jeremiah the prophet says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart? (Jeremiah 17:9-10) Who can know it? The heart of man is an open book to the Lord. Nothing can be hidden from Him in the darkest corner of the heart. If Christ abides there, no evil can prosper.

Hymns of the Church – Lord, speak to me, that I may speak – 27 April 2021, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

 

 

T

HEN the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. 6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. 7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. 8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. 9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.  (Jeremiah 1:4-9)

 

            This pastoral hymn was written by our dear old faithful friend and Godly saint, Francis Ridley Havergal, in 1872. The lyrics of which I write are taken from the ‘Book of Worship for US Forces’ 1972 edition. The hymn is in public domain. The tune title is ‘Canonbury’ by Robert Schumann (1856).

 

Lord, speak to me, that I may speak

 

Lord, speak to me that I may speak

In living echoes of your tone.

As you have sought, so let me seek

Your erring children, lost and lone.

 

Oh, lead me, Lord, that I may lead

The wand'ring and the wav'ring feet.

Oh, feed me, Lord, that I may feed

Your hungry ones with manna sweet.

 

Oh, teach me, Lord, that I may teach

The precious truths which you impart.

And wing my words that they may reach

The hidden depths of many a heart.

 

Oh, fill me with your fullness, Lord,

Until my very hearts o'erflows

In kindling thought and glowing word,

Your love to tell, your praise to show.

 

Oh, use me, Lord, use even me,

Just as you will, and when, and where

Until your blessed face I see,

Your rest, your joy, your glory share.

 

            1 Lord, speak to me that I may speak In living echoes of your tone. As you have sought, so let me seek Your erring children, lost and lone. We are not told the age of Jeremiah when the Lord called him to His service; however, the text suggest that he was quite young and perhaps in his teens. While it is true that God knew Jeremiah before He formed him in his mother’s womb, it is also true that He knew Jeremiah before the worlds were made and called him to be a prophet. Do not be surprised at this fact for He also knew you before the foundation of the world and called you to a particular station if you are His chosen elect. Jeremiah was intimidated by the high calling with which God had imbued him. While it is true that we are not worthy to do any service to God, if He calls us, He will make us worthy to fulfill the calling. The Word of God spoken by a child is not diminished by his youthful age, and has the same authority as if read by an aged clergyman. The Word of God bears its own authority untinged by the vessel from which it is served.

 

            2 Oh, lead me, Lord, that I may lead The wand'ring and the wav'ring feet. Oh, feed me, Lord, that I may feed Your hungry ones with manna sweet. The blind are useless to lead others to safety. We are all born blind to the majesty of God’s Word even if we have an innocence of faith in Him. Only our Lord Jesus Christ knows the Way for us to go, for He is the WAY. We follow Him. A starving man can do nothing to feed others who are starving. If a man is called to preach the Word of the Lord, he must first be fed with the Bread of Heaven that is the Manna of Heaven. Being filled with that Bread, his soul can scarce contain the overflow. He must share that Bread with others lest it go stale in his heart.

 

            3 Oh, teach me, Lord, that I may teach The precious truths which you impart. And wing my words that they may reach The hidden depths of many a heart. There is a deep in the heart of every soul much like the depths of the sea. Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. Psalms 42:7. The deeper meanings of God’s Word are understood by an inexplicable faith rather than by worldly proofs. We must be taught by God and not the fables of man. He will teach those whose thirst continually after His Word. Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. (Psalm 25:4-5) Who among us can know what treasures may lay hidden in the very depths of a man’s heart. Some of the crudest soldiers I have ever known were, in my opinion, beyond hope of salvation; yet, many responded in due course to the calling of God and became stronger Christians of faith than most who populate the church pews.

 

            4 Oh, fill me with your fullness, Lord, Until my very hearts o'erflows In kindling thought and glowing word, Your love to tell, your praise to show. A heart filled with sin cannot receive the beauty of righteousness. It must first be washed clean with the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. The empty vessel can then be filled with the goodness and treasures of the Lord. Being cleansed in the inward man, he will appear clean as well in the outward appearance. Purge me with hyssop (a purgative herb to cleanse the alimentary canal), and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7) Once God has cleansed the inner man, the outer man will appear whiter than snow; that is, unlike a snowflake, the new man will not even have a speck of impurity at his heart. His righteousness is the imputed righteousness of our Lord.

 

            5 Oh, use me, Lord, use even me, Just as you will, and when, and where Until your blessed face I see, Your rest, your joy, your glory share. Each called of God is a vessel of the Lord – some of gold, silver, wood, or stone. Each category is subject to either honor or dishonor. Many silk attired pulpit dandies began on firm ground of the Gospel and ended in the ditch of the Pharisees when success blinded their hearts and pride filled their souls. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. (2 Timothy 2:20) Walking with the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus following the crucifixion, the Lord did not ask how far they were going before He shared all that was written of Him in the Law and the Prophets. Neither did they inquire the distance He would go for they were enthralled by His teaching. The three traveled to Emmaus, and not until He handed them the Bread, did they know His Him. He works in mysterious ways that are sometimes hard for man to decipher, but this is for a greater purpose of revealing greater and greater truth. Abide with Him and He will abide with you – FOREVER!

The Word Incarnate – 27 April 2021, Anno Domini

 

I

N the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. . . . . 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.   (John 1:1-5, 14)

 

            Who created the world, the universe, and life on the planet earth? If you answer, God, you would be correct; but could you be even more specific in your response? Yes, you could be. The world was not created by manual labor and struggle but rather by the spoken Word. 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” God the Father is God. God the Son is God, and God the Holy Spirit is God. All have the same Mind and Purpose; however each has a separate office in function.

 

            Were we to simplify our understanding of the Creation event, we could separate the functions of the three Persons of the Godhead thusly:

 

1.     God the Father was the Architect who devised the plan for Creation;

 

2.     The Lord Jesus Christ, or Word, was the executive power to implement the plan;

 

3.     The Holy Spirit was the invisible power behind the construction.  In the beginning God (ELOHIM the plural/singular name in Hebrew) created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2)

 

            The central figure of the Godhead is the WORD Incarnate, or our Lord Jesus Christ! He was present at the dawn of Creation: “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Every mountain, river, valley, stream, and living creature bears His imprint and handiwork. Every nation has a picture that reflects His likeness in the Holy Bible. How does the Lord appear to the Japanese, the Korean, the German, the Ethiopian, or the Indian? He appears dressed in the biblically translated alphabet of those various people. Each fells to live up to that plumbline of perfection in Christ. Too many attempt to make Christ like unto themselves rather than have themselves transformed into His likeness.

 

The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion

Article II Of the Word or Son of God, which was made very Man.

The Son, which is the Word of the Father, begotten from everlasting of the Father, the very and eternal God, and of one substance with the Father, took Man's nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin, of her substance: so that two whole and perfect Natures, that is to say, the Godhead and Manhood, were joined together in one Person, never to be divided, whereof is one Christ, very God, and very Man; who truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for actual sins of men.

 

            Christ is Begotten, not made. He has not the blood of fallen Adam coursing through His veins. He existed in the eternity past with the Father. Unlike we, the children of adoption, Jesus Christ is the very same substance and Mind of God the Father. He was not born into existence at Bethlehem, but He was the Word that took upon Himself the flesh of man through Mary, the vessel chosen by which He would come forth as both Man and God in one Person. It was decided in the Council of God before the worlds were made that this same Word would come into the world as Redeemer, Savior, and Lord in the fulness of time. And so He did! He is the great I Am whose Presence is eternal and not limited to past, presence, or future tense. Do you know Him by His Word and Spirit?

The Vine and the Vineyard – 26 April 2021, Anno Domini

 

 

N

OW will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: 2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. 3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. 4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? (Isaiah 5:1-4)

 

            There is a great deal in the Holy Bible concerning Vines and the Vineyard of the Lord. The introductory text above is a simple expression, in human terms, of the Redeemer and the Children of God whether of the Old, or New, Testament Church. The ‘Well- Beloved’ is a figurative term for the Lord Jesus Christ. Observe that He did all the work of redemption necessary for His people, yet, being found in the most suitable of all garden soils and secured by fences; having been provisioned with a watch tower to defend from outside intruder; and having been furnished with the winepress of sacrifice; the grapes that came up were wild – a different nature from the seed planted.

 

            Though this parable of the Old Testament described conditions in Israel and Judah, it also has direct application to the Church today which has fallen into a shambles. Her fruits are not lawful, but licentious. The mainline churches are labeling that which is good, bad; and that which is bad, good. 

 

            The Vineyard of the Lord is His Bride, the Church. All that portends judgment of the Church also applies to the institution of Marriage since Marriage is intended by God to be a model and type of the Church.

 

            In the Gospel lectionary text for the 3^rd Sunday after Easter, we learn that the nature of our Lord is like unto a Vine which is a conveyance of the lifeblood of the grapevine to the branches resulting in the production of fruit; Christ is the Vine, and we are the branches. We cannot live without the Vine no more than the parts of our body can live without a constant flow of blood. The branches, having been made alive by the nutrients of the vine, will naturally produce fruit. If not, there is something amiss with the branch and it will be cut off. 

 

            So, the vineyard is the Lord’s and He is also compared to the Vine itself just as He is referred to as the Good Shepherd of the fold, but also the very Door to the Sheep-fold.  

 

            Let’s examine another parable, this time of the Vineyard itself:

 

H

EAR another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. (Matthew 21:33-42)

 

This parable was given before the Jewish rulers and priests in the Temple. 

 

            The householder was God the Father, the husbandmen are workers of the Church, the servants who called for the fruit were the prophets of old, and the householder’s son was the Lord Jesus Christ whom, like Jesus, was killed without the gate. Notice how the Lord Jesus allowed the scheming Jewish rulers to pass judgment on themselves in the last sentence above. Many will be condemned by the words of his own mouth.

AOC Sunday Report - Remembrance of Saint Mark superseding the Third Sunday after Easter

  

Happy Remembrance of Saint Mark superseding the Third Sunday after Easter!

The AOC Sunday Report can be downloaded RIGHT HERE!

There are really super sermons from Bishops Jerry and Roy, as well as Revs Jack and Bryan.  Each is quite different, you might enjoy one more than the other, but each is great.  Rev Jack's can be viewed on video RIGHT HERE!

There are always a lot of people who need your prayer, today please start with Jim, Shamu and work out from there.

As we draw to the end of April and look forward to May, see if you can use God to focus your vision on your mission.

Godspeed,

Hap

Church of the Faithful Centurion

Descanso, California

United States of America

Remembrance of Saint Mark superseding the Third Sunday after Easter

   

Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action

Church of the Faithful Centurion

Descanso, California

Rev Jack’s sermon can be viewed RIGHT HERE or: https://youtu.be/Xyi8b5jMWvE

 

Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and is partly contained in the forewords above. 

 

We are in the Easter Season which consists of Easter and the following four Sundays, through Rogation Sunday.  This is a time we should work on centering our lives on the central figure in our religion, Jesus Christ.  

 

Consider these words from the Collect:

 

… who hast instructed thy holy Church with the heavenly doctrine of thy Evangelist Saint Mark; Give us grace that, being not like children carried away with every blast of vain doctrine, we may be established in the truth of thy holy Gospel; through Jesus Christ our Lord…

 

Today’s Collect is a bit different than usual, it starts with the statement the Church was left clear and correct doctrine by Saint Mark, and by inference the other apostles, on the doctrine of Christianity as laid down for them by God himself in the form of Jesus.  We are cautioned not to fall prey to those who would spread false, unique and appealing doctrine.  The various books of the Bible differ in minor details from each other, but on a macro or global level they are congruent or consistent.  We are not to chase our wake, but rather to follow a steady course making small and conservative corrections consistent with Scripture. No ‘interpretation’ can override the clear and simple meaning of Scripture.  For, once you start down that rabbit hole, there is no telling where you will end up.  There is no hidden meaning in Scripture which conflicts with the clear and simple meaning.

 

When Paul writes to the people of Ephesus[1], he continues his familiar instruction that God has a purpose[2] for each of us according to our God given talents.  None of us stands higher in His eyes than another, as each block in the arch is necessary to hold it fast.  He points out the one who has assigned these abilities is Jesus Christ Himself.  He says we must no longer be as children but mature individuals capable of setting a steady course.  I liken this to flying.  You set the aircraft in a particular attitude, wait and see what happens.  You make corrections to the attitude and power based on deviation from that which is desired, that is to say you check your performance against a standard and make appropriate corrections.  This is like our lives and Scripture.  No wild changes, no chasing our wake.

 

John records Jesus’ comparison of Himself to a grape vine, with each of us being branches, without Him, we cannot bear fruit, that is to say do good things.  If we fail to bring forth the fruit of His making, then the Father will prune us.  If we do well, then we will be rewarded; if not here, then in the real world.

 

As long as we stay close to Christ and feed our souls on Him, we will bring for that needed fruit.

 

Bearing fruit requires more than mere mouthing, for it is Action, not Diction, that counts.

 

When Jesus got ready to leave this world for His, He told the disciples that He would send them the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, to keep them in Him and to help them understand what they had so far been unable to truly grasp.  Unless we allow the Holy Ghost to enter into our hearts, we will never understand that which is from God.  This is an important concept with messages that are not from God being bombarded across the world through principalities and powers of this world. Only the Holy Ghost can help us remain grounded within the truth. We need the Holy Ghost to enter into us that we might be able to hear the Word of God, and more important than just hearing the Word, we need the Holy Ghost to be able to act upon the Word. We must allow the Holy Ghost to enter in to our hearts and souls so we can understand what God has for us.  It is that simple.  Open your heart, pray for God to send Him into that open heart. 

 

For with the Holy Ghost’s help, you can hear, understand and act on The Word.

 

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

---

[1] Ephesus is located near the western shores of modern-day Turkey, where the Aegean Sea meets the former estuary of the River Kaystros, about 50 miles south of Izmir, Turkey.

[2] Everyone has a purpose in life, even if it is only to serve as a bad example.

Sermon Notes - Remembrance of Saint Mark superseding the Third Sunday after Easter - 25 April 2021, Anno Domini

  

The Third Sunday after Easter.

The Collect.

 

A

LMIGHTY God, who showest to them that are in error the light of thy truth, to the intent that they may return into the way of righteousness; Grant unto all those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s Religion, that they may avoid those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

 

F

OR whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. 8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: 9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. 10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. 11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. 12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. 13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. (Romans 15:4-13)

 

We honor Saint Mark the Evangelist today, the traditional memorial date for his remembrance.  He was Bishop of Alexandria and first brought the Gospel to Africa. He was martyred in 68 AD by being dragged through the streets by a rope around his neck. It is important we remember strong and devout Christians of the past as examples to our own lives.

 

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Were one to read the last book of the Bible (Revelations) so thoroughly and often that he could recite the whole from memory, he would yet have only a cursory and partial understanding of God and His Word. How can one know the profundity of the title, Lamb of God, if he has not read thoroughly the account of the first Passover in Egypt? The Bible is a great narrative from beginning to end. It is comprised of many smaller narratives building upon the greater one of God and His People. We have our hope and comfort through the patient reading (and understanding) of Holy Scripture. When we see our own treachery in the face of David, who committed both adultery and murder, we are reminded that, like David, God can restore us from those depths of our sin. When we see the courageous Peter wither in fear and deny Christ three times in one night, we are made to understand that we, too, have denied through our words and deeds before others. When we see our own depravity in that of the woman taken in adultery, we see the Grace and Mercy of God to forgive and restore. The strength of our understanding Scripture is Hope in how God can take a broken heart and amend it to Joy, or even turn the grievous misfortunes of our lives into good for those who believe!

 

Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus. Christ has taught us more times than once that He and the Father are One – One in Mind, One in Spirit, and One in Purpose. His great craving is that we, too, will be one with Him and, if one with Him, then one also with the Father. Believers cannot be one with Christ and not one with each other. Regardless of their claims to the contrary, every church has creeds upon which they stake their faith and doctrine. Even if no written down, such creeds are repeated oft in conversation. The Apostles and Nicene Creeds are summaries of proven Scriptural doctrine upon which we must all agree in order to be in sound Communion with each other and with God. We recite, in every one of our services, one or the other of the Creeds which bring us together in one Mind with each other and with Christ. The Lord’s Prayer, as well, unites us as one in Christ. It is a Communal prayer for it begins with Our Father not MY Father. A correct understanding of God’s Holy Word will remove all division and bring us into one Body and one Mind – that of our Lord Jesus Christ! That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. And how did Christ receive us? He received us by unmerited Grace! We were not required to pass some sort of ‘righteousness’ test before He called and chose us. We were unworthy and broken, yet He saw something in us that generated the kind of love that made Him willing to die in our stead in redemption of our many sins. We will never meet a perfect Christian, but we will see in his features the perfect Christ. We cannot achieve the level of righteousness by which we can earn heaven, but we can enjoy that perfect, imputed righteousness of Christ that He has bestowed upon us by His Grace and Love. When we look upon another of our brothers and sisters in Christ, we should not view them as to how far short of God’s glory that may have fallen or come, we should view them for all that they may BECOME through the Grace of God. That, thankfully, is how Christ views us – not for what we presently ARE, but what we may BECOME in Him!

 

Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. Christ fulfilled all requirements of the Law. He did not abrogate or change that Law, or even lessen it. He actually made it more all-encompassing! Wherein in times past, the Law was written on Tables of Stone at Sinai, now He has written them in the tender chambers of our hearts – written in love and not stone! Love cannot deny itself. If we truly love, we cannot offend. He has become the Ark of salvation to the people of God – both believing Jew and Gentile. (vv 9-12).

 

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. The White Nile (joy and peace), at its origin on the heights of Kilimanjaro, begins as a trickling stream. But it gathers force as the melting snows feed into its current. It is cold and clear. The Blue Nile (hope) is dark and comprised of many rich minerals it extracts from the soil. These two merge into one Great Nile River. It cascades down from the heights of Africa to the plains below in Egypt some four thousand miles distant. On the way, it gathers more and more soil-enriching nutrients which it deposits on those plains as it overflows its bed in abundance. That is very like the abundant power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It may take a trickle and turn it into a flood – and it does! It takes two different natures and joins them to create a miraculous new life. It always points and reminds of Christ. When sad and despairing, I have often taken to singing some of the great old songs of the hymnal. Before I know it, the sorrow is past and joy fills my heart. That is the kind of joy and peace that abounds in hope. Are you filled with all the hope and joy that the Holy Spirit offers? Look to the Word and be lifted!

 

The River of God is composed on many spiritual tributaries that flow into, and become One with, that Mighty River of God. What a blessing that our souls can be part of such a glorious destiny.

 

T

HERE is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. (Psalm 46:4-5)

Your Mansion Prepared – 25 April 2021, Anno Domini

  

 

L

ET not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  (John 14:1-3)

 

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.  We are often troubled more by doubts and fears of the future than by actual misfortunes. During the long and lonely nights, we may find sleep an elusive stranger. But it is during those night watches that the Lord is most keen to speak – not because He needs the solitude to speak, but rather because we need the solitude to hear. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. (Psalm 63:5-6) Where may God be found during those seemingly interminable night watches? Well, He is as close as the believer’s heart for that heart is His Temple. I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.  (Psalm 77:6)

 

In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.For whom does the Lord go to preparer a place? It is for His Bride, the Church, of which all believers are members. In the days of the earthly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, it was customary for the father to search out a worthy young lady for his son to marry – often by means of a match-maker. When such a one was found, the father arranged for a meeting at the young lady’s home with her and her parents. A single cup of wine was placed on the table between the two families. After a time of conversation, if the young man approved of the young lady to be his future bride, he would drink of the cup. If the young lady likewise agreed to the betrothal, she, too, would then drink from the same cup. This was a serious seal of betrothal. 

 

            In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. The father of the future bridegroom would then depart with his son in order that the boy could begin to prepare a place in the father’s house for his future bride, but this was done under the supervision of the father. It was the father’s responsibility to provide quarters spacious enough for his son’s family, but it was the son’s responsibility to make the quarters suitable. After many weeks, months, or even a year ort two, when the father believed the accommodations suitable, he would release the son to proceed to the girl’s house and bring her to the marriage supper. His friends would go before him heralding the coming marriage supper. The girl must be ready at all times to be taken by her betrothed. 

 

            One of the bridegroom’s company would go before and sound a trumpet near the girl’s home to alert her of the coming bridegroom. Her maids-in-waiting were required as well to be ready at the midnight hour to accompany the party.

 

            I go to prepare a place for you. Can you draw the connection between the  social customs of the day and the words of our Lord concerning His going to prepare a place for us (under the father’s supervision)? Can you see that the Cup of which He drank is the same from which we drink in the Holy Communion Service? In so doing, we are making a corporate and public testimony that we are accepted in Him, and He in us. He is coming at a moment in which we may least suspect it. His Angel will sound the trumpet at the moment of His coming for His Bride, the Church. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:52)

 

            The sleep of death is so momentary we shall feel as if we simply blinked our eyes and were awakened beyond the Gates of Splendor. Isn’t God’s Word amazing!