AOC Three : June 2021

Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Tear Bottle of God – 1 July 2021, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

The Lord’s Tear Bottle

HOU tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? (Psalm 56:8)

There was no rain in Adam’s Day, but just a mist of Dew.

No drops of water bathed the earth, or marred the Garden view.

The first moist drop of water fell before that ugly tree -

It was a tear from Adam’s eye when God he could not see.

The tears of man have fallen since in trials and hurt and sorrow, But God will count them one by one and keep them in His bottle.

The woman laden down with sin who came to Christ at Supper, Bathed His feet with bottled tears for all that she did suffer.

No longer needed were those tears of sin that ever plagued her,

She now gave all those tears to Christ – the best she had to offer.

That bottle that once held her tears now held her faith’s devotion. No lid would hold her love in check - her love became an ocean.

If we will give our tears to Christ, there is no point in weeping, For in His Bottle Christ will keep our tears for future healing.

The humble maiden, flushed with shame, gave all her heart was able.

And you and I may do the same when supping at His Table.

Hymns of the Church – Tempted and Tried – 30 June 2021, Anno Domini

RULY God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. 2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. 3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. 5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. 6 Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. 7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. 8 They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. (Psalm 73:1-8)

This is an old Country Gospel Hymn of uncertain authorship. It was a favorite of the African Church and may have been written by WB Stevens since it was published by him in 1911. The hymn is sad and of slow movement. It bears a special value to me in the memories of my childhood. A favorite of my grandmother, the hymn was sung at her funeral at an old country church. I was eight years old at the time and misunderstood the meaning of the hymn thinking that the opening words of the refrain were Father, Alone. But the tune bore strong memories of my grandmother whom I loved dearly, and the words, too, came to mean much to me. My maternal grandmother’s funeral was the only time I ever saw my father weep openly.

Tempted and Tried

Tempted and tried, we’re oft made to wonder

Why it should be thus all the day long;

While there are others living about us,

Never molested, though in the wrong.

Refrain:

Farther along we’ll know more about it,

Farther along we’ll understand why;

Cheer up, my brother, live in the sunshine,

We’ll understand it all by and by.

Sometimes I wonder why I must suffer,

Go in the rain, the cold, and the snow,

When there are many living in comfort,

Giving no heed to all I can do.

Refrain:

Tempted and tried, how often we question

Why we must suffer year after year,

Being accused by those of our loved ones,

E’en though we’ve walked in God’s holy fear.

Refrain:

Often when death has taken our loved ones,

Leaving our home so lone and so drear,

Then do we wonder why others prosper,

Living so wicked year after year.

Refrain:

‘Faithful till death,’ saith our loving Master;

Short is our time to labor and wait;

Then will our toiling seem to be nothing,

When we shall pass the heavenly gate.

Refrain:

Soon we will see our dear, loving Savior,

Hear the last trumpet sound through the sky;

Then we will meet those gone on before us,

Then we shall know and understand why.

Refrain:

Tempted and tried, we’re oft made to wonder Why it should be thus all the day long; While there are others living about us, Never molested, though in the wrong. Envy is a terrible detriment to joy. We may have the finest living accommodations of our lives, yet, become jealous of a neighbor who has a larger pool. We may sacrifice and give bountifully to charities of all kinds while another spends only on self and luxury. We wonder why God prospers the wicked and keeps us under the tight ropes of austerity. Do you believe that God has a purpose for everything? If so, why question His providence? He has provided, and will provide, your every NEED – not necessarily your every WANT.

Sometimes I wonder why I must suffer, Go in the rain, the cold, and the snow, When there are many living in comfort, Giving no heed to all I can do. Excesses comfort can become the albatross about the neck of the proud. It makes a person weak and unable to face hardship. That is why military basic training requires the greatest physical exertion and deprivations a trainee can bear – he or she will come out stronger for the challenges overcome. Remember the Rich man, who lived in luxury and not carting for those about him, and poor beggar Lazarus who had not a penny to his name – yet, Lazarus had a name written in the book of Life and the Rich man wound up with no name at all in Hell.

Tempted and tried, how often we question Why we must suffer year after year, Being accused by those of our loved ones, E’en though we’ve walked in God’s holy fear. Have you noticed that, in politics, it is the honest candidate who receives the ‘slings and arrows of outrageous fortune’ while the most corrupt sail through without a single wound? Mammon controls the news corporations and political machines. They are quite adept at character assassination since they have so much experience at it over the years. The righteous seemingly battle at a great disadvantage. What is it? The righteous are restrained in battle to the accepted rules of war while the wicked recognize no such rules. So, the wicked can lie, cheat, and steal with impunity while the righteous must adhere to truth. It is true in our daily lives as well. Ill-gotten wealth will profit nothing in the end.

Often when death has taken our loved ones, Leaving our home so lone and so drear, Then do we wonder why others prosper, Living so wicked year after year. We must remind ourselves to focus on the road before us and stop glancing either side at the broad avenues of the wicked. It is enough that we take one step at a time in the direction our Lord has laid out before us – the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Satan may paint glitter and frills alongside with alternate routes, and alternate destinations; but these should have no appeal to those whose hearts are fixed on Jesus. We must play the hand the Lord has dealt us and not concern ourselves that others may have better cards. Such thoughts can profit us nothing in the end game of life. We also mourn the loss of a loved one for less reasons than we realize. We do not mourn for the departing Christian, but truly for ourselves. They are in far better hands than they have ever been, while we are left to face lives tragedies alone – except for a strong and loving Friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Why do we fret, then?

Faithful till death, saith our loving Master; Short is our time to labor and wait; Then will our toiling seem to be nothing, When we shall pass the heavenly gate. There is a mountain overlooking the garrison at West Point called Bear Mountain. On a forced marched up its rugged trails, the trainee becomes nearly exhausted and out of hope of relief. But looking ahead at one point, the path levels and hope of a less strenuous march is kindled. But that level path only extends about one hundred yards and the previously unseen trail turns to a far steeper uphill grade. It is called Heartbreak Hill because it teaches the cadet to rely on an inner strength he did not realize he had. One is tempted to fall out, but pride keeps him on the march. Once the long march is completed, what a satisfaction we have that we did not relent in the march. The same is true of life. It is a basic training for God’s elect. Every struggle overcome makes us stronger.

Soon we will see our dear, loving Savior, Hear the last trumpet sound through the sky; Then we will meet those gone on before us, Then we shall know and understand why. There are many events in my life that I consider great blessings, but I may not have considered them so at the time of their transpiring. Some seemed like great tragedies, but God turned them into the very best blessing that could have been imagined. Life is fleeting as the morning mist. Soon, and before you know it, the mist will clear and the trumpet will sound – perhaps Reveille to some, and Assembly to others! Looking up, we shall behold the Armies of Heaven descending and led by our Savior on a White Horse. Then all our sad memories will be as that morning mist.

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

The Image of the Invisible God – 30 June 2021, Anno Domini

HANKS unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. (Col 1:12-18)

Having been created in the very image and likeness of God in the beginning, that image was soon marred and disfigured when sin entered in through the Fall of Adam. At that point, disease, and atrophy began to take place. Wild animals were turned against each other – not by the decree of God but by the effects of sin. Sin brought death and sorrow, and the image in which God had made man was corrupted. The will of man came into the bondage of sin and Satan; thus, man no longer had a will reflecting the Mind of God. Man lost his free will in the Garden for only the mind that has taken upon itself the Mind and Will of God is free.

Adam was an anti-type of Christ for by the first man, Adam, came death and sin; but by the second Man, Christ, came life eternal. The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. (1 Cor 15:45-49)

As we see from an abundant number of biblical references, Christ is the express image of the Father. (see Hebrews 1:3) How is it possible that Christ, as our Bibles tell us, was the firstborn of every creature? (see Col 1:15)It is because the Son was with the Father before the worlds were ever made, and He was the executive power at that Creation! In that sense, He is the Firstborn of all living. In another sense, He is the firstborn of all who are born into everlasting life by grace through faith. Adam is the federal head of all living born of woman; but Christ is the Firstborn of all who are born of the Spirit!

The Lord Jesus Christ owns the preeminence in all things. He was BEFORE all things, and in Him do all things consist! Without the Lord Jesus Christ, there would be no living thing either physical or spiritual since all things were made by Him: (see John 1:1-4) He is (in micro-physics) the bond that holds the sub-atomic particles together in the atom; and (in macro-physics), He is the force that holds the intergalactic constellations in place. He is also the Author and Preserver of Life itself for without His constant care and Providence, we would not enjoy our next breath or heartbeat. But more than even this, He is the Firstborn from the Dead that we, too, might be made new in the rebirth assured through His grace and mercy to those whom He has chosen from the multitudes.

The marred image of Eden is reformed in the image of those to whom has been imputed the righteousness of Christ by grace through faith. 26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. (Col 1:26-28) This mortal shall put on immortality – in fact, we shall be like Him at that great awakening as if by the twinkling of an eye: Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:1-2)

If these things are too hard to grasp, it is because the world has long taught us to have no faith in the greater realm of the Spiritual Power of God. Wake up, Sleeper, and turn to the Almighty God who is able to save to the uttermost.

Monday, June 28, 2021

Pitching our tents toward Sodom – 29 June 2021, Anno Domini

ND Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. 11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. 12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. (Gen 13:10-12)

Please do not find fault with God’s Holy Word if it reiterates time and again the patterns of sin to avoid. Repetition is a learning technique that reinforces our ability to recall important matters – and sin is a deadly important matter. “Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.” (Isaiah 28:9-10) We know from repeated references in God’s Word that sin is most often a slippery slope that declines more and more and draws the victim by his own weight into the maelstrom of ruin.

You remember a recent study in which David remained where he should not have, walked where the lure to sin was great, and consummated his sinful desire in action. Eve, too, walked where she should not have, stopped in the wrong place, and conversed with the Adversary of her soul in abandonment of faith. This is a pattern starkly revealed in the very first Psalm that is prelude to all that follow: “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” (Psalm 1:1) The unwise venture to the place of temptation, delay in that place too long, and finally make themselves one with the evil company.

The sordid and covetous choice that Lot made in choosing the fertile plains over against Sodom presents both a personal and a national lesson for us today – a lesson for each of us who believe, a lesson for the church, and a lesson for the nation. Lot was willing to subject his family and relations to the most decadent people then living in order to gain economic standing. When we pitch our tents toward Sodom, our righteous influence will crumble before the weight of evil there and we will suffer from that bad odor of death that proliferates in such an environment. Justice and liberty are corrupted by those dark influences just as we witness a corrupt judicial branch today in America along with the best Congressional members money can buy (with a few notable exceptions)!

The sins of Sodom were grossly evil and perverse, yet, we have taken up those very sins to indoctrinate our precious children to manners and customs alien to a moral and godly people. “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:14-15) What has happened to parental responsibility, as well as natural love, in nurturing our children in the “way that they should go?”

Are we blind to the depravity taking place among us – a sudden propensity to drug abuse, suicide, murder, abortion, perversions in sex, promiscuity, etc. When did these deplorable sins begin to proliferate in America? Please observe a timetable of Supreme Court decisions in which the Constitution was silent, but the Court resorted to legislating law instead of interpreting it. The Supreme Court ruled:

25 June 1962 Prayer unconstitutional in school. There is not a single line in the US Constitution prohibiting school prayer. In fact, the 1^st Amendment guarantees that freedom.

18 June 1963 Bible reading or posting of the Ten Commandments unconstitutional.

22 January 1973 Abortion of babies was constitutional and abrogated the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution and set forth in the Declaration of Independence (our very founding document)

26 June 2015 Homosexual marriage a right under the Constitution. The Constitution does not even mention marriage.

When will this insanity end? Only when red-blooded, patriotic American Christians stand up and say “Enough is Enough!”

Sunday, June 27, 2021

AOC Sunday Report - Fourth Sunday after Trinity

Happy Fourth Sunday after Trinity!

The AOC Sunday Report is RIGHT HERE!

There are great sermons today from Bishop Jerry, as well as Revs Jack and Bryan. Rev Jack's sermon is available on video RIGHT HERE.

Bishop Roy no doubt preached a sermon as he was in Bell Center, Ohio, ordaining Joshua Richards to the diaconate, we just do not have it.

There are always a lot of people who need your prayer, please start with the people who lost their lives and family members in the building collapse in Florida, then move to Jim, Laurie, Shamu and continue on.

There is a great week ahead, once again you will not find it without God's help, open your heart to that Third God Guy, the Holy Ghost, and let Him breath life into you.

Godspeed,

Hap

Church of the Faithful Centurion

Descanso, California

United States of America

Fourth Sunday after Trinity

Rev Jack's sermon is available on video RIGHT HERE!

Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action
Church of the Faithful Centurion - Descanso, California

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

Consider these words from the Collect:

… protector of all that trust in thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy; Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy; that, thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal…

We desperately need God’s Help, yet paradoxically, God can only help us if we put our trust in Him; we can never be strong, nor set aside to Him, if we do not let Him be our leader. No one except God can be their own leader, no one. Each of us, no matter our position, must have an immutable directional reference or we become hopelessly lost. For navigation, we have a magnetic compass or better yet the Pole Star, Polaris, which will tell us True North so we can keep headed in the right direction. People have died of starvation in a closely wooded area less than a mile across because they became lost while following their own sense of direction. By definition, they were always less than 3,000 feet from safety, yet they died after many days. So it is with our spirits.

Like Peter, if we are separated from Christ, then we too shall become lost. But, if we have the Holy Ghost, we are not separated from God and Christ and will thus become stronger. So, if we have the Holy Ghost in our heart, he will both strengthen us and help us to holy, that is set aside. He can also help us be merciful to other people. We just need to listen to what the Holy Ghost says and act upon it.

We need a leader to follow. We cannot be our own leaders. If we try to become our own leaders, it will not work. But fortunately for us, we have God and Jesus and the Holy Ghost. if we will follow Their Lead, we will pass through this world in good order and go on to the next in eternal happiness. This is a very common theme within Scripture, do what God asks, be happy; don’t do what God asks, don’t be happy. It seems simple enough in theory, but a lot harder in practice. It is a lot easier said or thought about than done. We want to do what we want to have fun, God wants us to do what we need to do to be happy. Funand Happy do not mean the same thing, they are used interchangeably, their meanings are orders of magnitude different.

We should not consider what man thinks of us. We need to be concerned with what God thinks of us. If we follow Him, then those who really matter will like us for who we are and how we conduct ourselves while following God and those who don’t are of no concern. Do what is right, avoid what is wrong and you will be happy are the basic principles of the Christian faith.

Paul builds on this, telling us walking God’s path, though it may seem hard at the time, is nothing compared to the reward we receive in heaven for following God’s will. There may be quite a struggle on this Earth before we go to our heavenly home. Paul assures us that heaven will be worth the wait. It ties in also with the collect saying that we need to focus not on things temporal, but things eternal. Meaning we need to look at ourselves and our actions with the long long term view with the goal of getting to heaven for eternity. It must be remembered eternal life doesn’t just start when you die and leave this Earth for Heaven, it starts right now. The Collect is asking for God to help us make our way through this temporal universe to His Realm, the ultimate eternal universe of Heaven. We need His help to guide us through all of life’s trials and temptations

In the end, our reward will outweigh all of our struggles, if we will but keep our eye on the true prize. Our struggles here on Earth in the eternal view will not be as big as what our eternal reward will be, if we but stay the course that God has set for us. God gave us free will, which if we exercise it properly, that is the will to overcome temptation. What at first seems like a constrained way of living, once actually lived is really perfect freedom. It only seems constrained, because we cannot conceive how following His Word will allow us true freedom. If we overcome temptation to do what we want and do what God wants, we will receive the gift of eternal salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke presents a simple message, yet one that is often misunderstood, with majestic language which brings the message to a point of incredible sharpness. We are to be a guide to others to Christ, yet we cannot help others until our own problems are on the way to “solvation”, that is being solved through the salvation offered by Christ. We need to follow Him, before we ask others to follow us. After all, if we are not going in the right direction, what positive value is there in others following us? We can’t very well lead people to Christ if we ourselves are not on the road to Christ.

We do not want to be leading others towards The Pit, rather, we want to be sure we are on the right path before we guide others along the path. We must not lead others astray by our actions and judge unrighteously, but judge with righteous judgment through the Holy Ghost and on the solid foundations of Holy Scripture.

When he said use righteous judgement, he was talking about judging people’s behavior by the standards of Scripture, not condemnation. He was talking about using the Scriptures as the standard for judging individual’s behavior. He does not mean us to condemn others. This is connected with the parable of the mote. Often times when we are tempted to condemn somebody, we often ignore our own failures and focus on theirs. Let us get our act together first, before we help others. So, how can we, imperfect as we are, be honest with ourselves? The answer is easy, hard to implement, but easy! The Holy Ghost! Let Him into your heart and do what you are told. Simple, yet hard to do.

Speaking of doing, what we do to others is a good measure of how we follow God’s Will and Direction. We are expected to treat others as we would be treated. Remember the Golden Rule, do unto others as you would have done unto you. Our real earthly fortune, as well as are eternal lives, are a reflection of our commitment to God.

We are so ready to condemn the performance of others when our own is even worse. It is common within all of us, especially me particularly. As Paul tells us, “all fall short.” The operative word here is ALL. If we look to condemn and repair our own spiritual lives before condemning others, we will be better suited to help them. Our beam before their mote.

For only when we have taken care of our own spiritual health by looking to God for help to evaluate and improve how we follow His Word, we will be able to effectively spread the Word of His love for us.

And that is our job, to improve ourselves to effectively spread His Word by example; our action, not our diction, is the measure.

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

Sermon Notes - Judgement - Fourth Sunday after Trinity - Saint Andrew’s Anglican Orthodox Church - 27 June 2021, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

Fourth Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect.

GOD, the protector of all that trust in thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy; Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy; that, thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal. Grant this, O heavenly Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O GOD, the protector of all that trust in thee. We see, not only in this prayer, but in scripture itself, a thing condemned by the world but practiced by God. God profiles and discriminates in his dealings with His people. Those who do not trust in God may not claim the privilege of His protection. He seeks those who have the faith to trust in Him under any and all circumstances of life. Remember that there are only two families and classes among all the people of the earth - past, present, and future - the family of God, and the family of the Prince of Darkness. There is NO MIDDLE GROUND! Trust is all important. We all tend to place our trust in SOMETHING - our friends, our job, our wealth, or our own hand. But trust misplaced is trust abandoned. Trust is so important to God that He places it in the very center verse of Holy Scripture: "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes." (Psalms 118:9) The national motto of our United States is "In God we Trust." We consider it of such importance that we place it on every coin minted by our government. Sadly, the motto is dead without the real trust that should back both our money and our motto.

When the storms and billows build upon the seas of your life, you may take courage in the Psalmists words of encouragement and strength: "If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." (Psalms 139:9-10) If we have made our election in Christ sure, we may rely upon the promises found in Isaiah: "… Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." (Isaiah 43:1-2)

". . . without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy." Apart from God there is NOTHING! There was only a void where the earth now stands, and even the void was created by the Word of God. There is NO LIFE apart from His loving provision. So there can be NO STRENGTH apart from God. He is the PRIME MOVER and SUSTAINER of all things. And can there be holiness apart from God. None whatsoever, for there are none righteous - no not ONE! There can be no holy thought, no holy ground, apart from a Holy God to provide it.

"Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy" God's mercy is as abundant as a gushing fountain. We can never reach a point when we believe we have had enough. It continually flows forth and bathes us in its resplendent waters of light. If we magnify our Lord, He will magnify His mercies upon us. ". . . that, thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal." Do we not pray to get through the fires of life un-scorched? In the burning building, as in the world of smoke and mirrors, we desperately seek the way that leads to safety. We may grope and stumble until the fires consume us because we have no Guide in the fires. But we do have a strong Guide and Ruler who is our King and Sovereign. His eyes are forever on His own. He will go through the fires with us, sheltering us with His wings, and bring us, unscathed, to safety. But we must keep our hand, and our trust, in Him during the danger. Those things of the world may cause us to break hold of Christ and wonder into places that lead us to perish. Can we cast aside the false glitter and dim lights of this world and keep our focus fixed on that Light that never fails. If we are able to persevere to the last, we shall be saved to enjoy the splendor of Heaven.

How can our saving mercies be granted on behalf of One who has already gained the Kingdom of His Father? How is Christ profited by our grant of mercy? "Grant this, O heavenly Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord."The very dying desire of Christ was that we might be saved. His ordeal of torture and earth was all for us. He purchased our salvation with His atoning death if we will only place our trust in that mighty Salvation! It is for the sake of His Son that God the Father will admit us into His Heaven as pure and righteous sons of God. Have you placed your absolute trust in Him, Friend?

The Epistle

Romans viii. 18-23

RECKON that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

The Gospel

St. Luke vi. 36-42

E ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.

In today’s Gospel there are points of variance between that which is commonly and erroneously taught in modern churches; and the clearly stated truth of the Scripture itself. One has to do with the false notion that we are helpless to judge both sin and sinners - the second is that our good works will suffice to save us if only we perform enough of them.

The world places a very high premium upon achievement and performance. We are often misled, even by our clergy, to believe our works are the means by which we are saved. The modern church emphasizes giving almost to the exclusion of all other considerations. The rich man, or woman, will be rewarded with honors and positions of responsibility even if their daily lives do not reflect that Spirit of which Christ spoke. Perhaps the poor widow that spends all of her available time in cooking for the sick and homeless will be forgotten in the perishable minds of men, but shall be more highly remembered and favored in the Infinite Mind of God. God gives us many hints of His Will to be fulfilled in Christ in the midst of the Old Testament.

The people of Israel were living as they pleased and believing that all their sins were remitted by the sacrifices of the wealthy. But God counseled: For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6) The money-changers of the modern temple would have us persist in believing that we can BUY God’s favor while living as we please, but it was NEVER so. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. (Psalms 85:10) Mercy and truth are husband and wife - inseparable! If we will have mercy, we must accept truth with it. As Jesus told the Samaritan Woman at Jacob’s Well, “. . . the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (John 4:23) ‘Spirit’ is not emotionalism, but love of God and our fellow man. But our love must be directed in truth, for false worship is an abomination in the eyes of the Lord.

As we read in our biblically-oriented prayer of Collect, God is the protector of all who trust in Him. We can claim none of God’s protection apart from the measure of trust we place wholly in Him. Without God, we have no strength at all, and our righteousness is as filthy rags. Apart from God, there is no holiness to be had. We lean upon God for His increasing mercies in His Sovereign Rule over us, and to Guide us through the Wilderness of Sin of this present world. Only God can show us the safe and righteous way - we cannot find it alone. In avoiding those things that worldly, we are amassing to ourselves those treasures that are heavenly. These are the Godly petitions we repeated from today’s prayer of Collect.

In our Epistle for today, taken from Romans 8, we discover that there is groaning of the mortal soul that is inclined to the Holiness of God. Such a struggle and groaning is forever present with us until the curtain of time is lifted and time shall be no more. It is not a sorrowful groaning, but an intense desire to see God’s will worked out on earth as it is in Heaven according to that prayer the Lord taught us to say. When sorrow and misery befalls the stranger to God, hope is forlorn and there is no brilliant Light upon which he may fix his eyes from the darkness that engulfs his wretched soul. But the child of God embraces the Light even more earnestly as the dark circle surrounds him, or a loved one. He knows, innately, that the Light is his destination and not the dark fires of Hell that seem to presently surround him. “. . . . weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5b)

Our Gospel text calls us to a higher standard of life and Spirit than a rigid adherence to the law can afford. If perfect obedience were possible, there would be no need of mercy; but we can never be perfect keepers of the Law of God, therefore, we must have mercy if we are to be accounted blameless and righteous in entering the Kingdom of Heaven.

Consider the great pardon and mercy shown to us through the substitutionary death of Christ! He suffered that we might forego the eternity of Hell. We should rightfully be punished for our life of sin, yet Christ died in our stead that we, accepting His Lordship, might be pardoned and forgiven. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. This is a mighty admonition to us, for we can never be as merciful as God has been toward us. But God would have us to take on the very nature of mercy in our dealings with others. Though a child can seldom match the understanding of his father or mother, he will nonetheless mimic the nature he sees in his parents. That is what God desires of His children today.

37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven So many good Christians misunderstand this to mean that Christian judgment is forbidden. Nothing could be further from the truth. The meaning to us is this: We should not judge with our personal judgments, but with the righteous judgment of God as evidenced in His Word. Jesus Christ gives us commandment that is clear: Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. (John 7:24) We are not only to judge from the heart, but also judge only by the measure of God’s judgment and not our own. If God has declared a certain behavior sin, that is not OUR judgment, but God’s. Simply declaring God’s condemnation of a sin is not our PERSONAL judgment, but HIS! Remember the debtor to the king whose great debt was forgiven by the king and, who, after went out and took a man by the throat who owed him a small sum, threatening to sell his wife and family into slavery? He was forgiven a fortune, but refused to forgive his own servant a small debt. How merciless was he! Are we not the same? The King of Glory has forgiven us an enormous debt, and a multitude of debts, yet we refuse to forgive those who offend us in the slightest measure.

38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. It is not possible to give more than God has given, for He immediately replenishes our bottles of oil the moment we pour out our blessings to others. There are blessings that cannot be measured in simple terms of a piece of bread for a piece of bread. Our giving of bread to the poor is multiplied in return value a thousand times. Our souls have rest and a good conscience thereby. Peace of mind is a possession not enjoyed by the greedy.

Can the blind lead the blind? Of course they can! It is happening in 90% of America’s churches today. Ministers, blind to the love and Spirit of God, are leading their blind disciples ever nearer the gaping abyss that awaits all who do not hear with clarity the voice of God. 39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? This is a parable of Jesus that has profoundly present implications. Our seminaries have been turned from a concentrated focus on the Word of God to an obsession with church growth, conflict resolution, seeker friendly programs, and, yes, MONEY schemes! If the lay Christian is NOT blind (informed deeply by the Word of God) it is not likely that he can be led by the nose by a blind guide.

Do you know that there are theologians today who believe that they are better informed of God’s Will than Jesus Christ? It is true. There are those among the despicable movement called “Higher Critics” who believe textual analysis and archeological digs have revealed to them information Jesus did not have while on his earthly ministry. They obviously discredit Christ as the Son of the Living God, and God Himself! Their new bibles attempt to alter the evidence to support their intentional errors. 40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. I once disputed with a local minister who claimed that speaking in tongues (nonsensical babbling) was required for salvation. We argued the issue endlessly. Finally, I asked, “Is Jesus Christ our perfect example in all things?” Of course, the minister answered in the affirmative to which I followed up, “Do we have any evidence of Jesus EVER speaking in an ecstatic and incomprehensible tongue?” The man REFUSED to answer. If we will have perfect religion, and undefiled, let us be as much like Christ as our earthen vessels will afford.

How many clergymen preach against the sins of lying, stealing, adultery, etc., and harbor those sins in the dark chambers of their own hearts? Of course, these sins are condemned by God; however, we must not judge others by a stronger measure than we apply to our own conduct. If we criticize the housekeeping of a neighbor, let us first sweep the trash and filth from our own floors. 41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.

If we are to have authority as men and women of God, we must see that we follow Christ in love and truth. We not only pronounce the truth of God’s Word to others, but we must make that truth the rule of our own lives. Owning the Spirit of Love and Truth, we shall walk the Valleys and Mountains with our eyes open to the presence and company of God.

Fourth Sunday after Trinity - Propers with explanation - Rev Jack's Sermon

The Propers for today are found on Page 194-194, with the Collect first:

Fourth Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect.

The Epistle came from the Eight Chapter of St. Paul‘s Letter to the Romans, beginning at the Eighteenth Verse. Paul tells us that walking God’s path, though it may seem hard at the time, is nothing compared to the reward we receive in heaven for following God’s will. God gave us free will, which if we exercise it properly, that is the will to overcome temptation. What at first seems like a constrained way of living, once actually lived is really perfect freedom. If we overcome temptation to do what we want and do what God wants, we will receive the gift of eternal salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. For until Christ, there was no delivery from the pain of worldly existence; through Christ there is redemption of our souls and our resulting bodily resurrection.

The Holy Gospel came from the Sixth Chapter of the Gospel according to St. Luke, beginning at the Thirty-Sixth Verse. This is a simple message, yet often misunderstood, with majestic language that brings the message to a point of incredible sharpness. “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven; give and it shall be given unto you… …Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?” “… why beholdest thou the mote that is in the brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? …How canst thou say to thy brother, Brother let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest no the beam that is in thine own eye?” This is often quoted, but the following sentence is left out, “Cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the more that is in thy brother’s eye.”

Only when we first take care of our own spiritual health, look to our own relationship to God and evaluate and improve how we follow His Word, we will be able to effectively spread the Word of His love for us.

Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action

Church of the Faithful Centurion - Descanso, California

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

Consider these words from the Collect:

Each of us, no matter our position, must have an accurate and unchanging directional reference or we become hopelessly lost. For navigation, we have a magnetic compass which can tell us which way is Magnetic North, and with local corrections True North or better yet the Pole Star, Polaris, which will tell us True North directly so we can keep headed in the right direction. People have died of starvation in a closely wooded area less than a mile across because they became lost while following their own sense of direction. By definition, they were always less than 3,000 feet from safety, yet they died after many days of trusting in their own sense of direction. So, it is with our spirits and right and wrong.

Like Peter, if we are separated from Christ, then we too shall become lost. But, when we have the Holy Ghost to guide us and link us to the rest of the Trinity, we are not separated from God and Christ and will thus become stronger. Holy Ghost in our heart will both strengthen us and help us to holy, that is set aside; in this world, but not of this world. He can also help us be merciful to other people, something most of us in truth have difficulty with. We just need to listen to the Holy Ghost and act upon His guidance.

Each of us needs a leader to follow. We cannot be our own leaders. If we try to become our own leaders, it will not work. But fortunately for us, we have God and Jesus and the Holy Ghost. if we will follow Their Lead, we will pass through this world in good order and go on to the next in eternal happiness. This is a very common theme within Scripture, do what God asks, be happy; don’t do what God asks, don’t be happy. It seems simple enough in theory, but a lot harder in practice. It is a lot easier said or thought about than done. We want to do what we want to have fun, God wants us to do what we need to do to be happy. Fun and Happy do not mean the same thing, they are used interchangeably, their meanings can be orders of magnitude different.

Paul builds on this, telling us walking God’s path, though it may seem hard at the time, is nothing compared to the reward we receive in heaven for following God’s will. There may be quite a struggle on this Earth before we go to our heavenly home. Paul assures us heaven will be worth the wait. It ties in also with the collect saying that we need to focus not on things temporal, but things eternal. Meaning we need to look at ourselves and our actions with the long term view with the goal of getting to heaven for eternity. It must be remembered eternal life doesn’t just start when you die and leave this Earth for Heaven, it starts right now. The Collect is asking for God to help us make our way through this temporal universe to His Realm, the ultimate eternal universe of Heaven. We need His help to guide us through all of life’s trials and temptations

In the end, our reward will outweigh all of our struggles, if we will but keep our eye on the true prize. Viewed through the prism of eternal life, our struggles here on Earth are nothing compared to our eternal reward, if we but stay the course God has set for us. God gave us free will, which, if we exercise it properly, is the will to overcome temptation. What at first seems like a constrained way of living, once actually lived is really perfect freedom. It only seems constrained, because we cannot conceive how following His Word will allow us true freedom. If we overcome temptation to do what we want and do what God wants, we will receive the gift of eternal salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are so ready to condemn the performance of others when our own is even worse. It is common within all of us, especially me particularly. As Paul tells us, all fall short. The operative word here is ALL. If we look to condemn and repair our own spiritual lives before condemning others, we will be better suited to help them. Our beam before their mote.

And that is our job, to improve ourselves to effectively spread His Word by example; our action, not our diction, is the measure.

Heaven is at the end of an uphill trail. The easy downhill trail does not lead to the summit.

The time is now, not tomorrow. The time has come, indeed. How will you ACT?

It is by our actions we are known.

Be of God - Live of God - Act of God

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